Results 1,361-1,380 of 20,818 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 150 together. Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government. The National Development Plan identifies access to quality early learning and childcare as a component of National Strategic Objective 10. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: In view of the 15% increase in Core Funding in year 3 and the associated supports, including the increase in the flat rate allocation for sessional services to €5,000, the increase in the minimum Core Funding allocation to €14,000 and the introduction of the Fee Increase Assessment Process, I am confident that, participation rates will continue to remain on par with previous...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that in the coming days Tusla, the Child and Family Agency will announce the opening of the application process for groups/organisations that wish to join the Family Resource Centre Programme. Membership of the Programme will increase from 121 members to 126 members in 2025, in line with a Government commitment to expand the Programme. I very much welcome...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Thank you for your question, Deputy. The Department has welcomed the publication by HIQA of its 2024 overview report on inspections of over 50 International Protection Accommodation Centres. The report made many positive findings of compliance with the National Standards identified in this report, and also acknowledged that partial compliance and non-compliance with the National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: My Department supports the delivery of youth services nationwide. Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes has increased...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child. A number of existing Schemes would need to play a role to achieve these aims. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income report that they...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Work is well advanced on the Programme for Government commitment to reduce the administrative burden on providers. On 19 September 2023, plans to develop an Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector were announced, supported by a Working Group comprising representatives from the Department, Pobal and the City / County Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As this relates to information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been forwarded to the Agency for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Youth workers are central to the delivery of youth services. The relationships which young people develop with their youth workers can be transformative in a young person's life. As part of the Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2023-2028, my Department has committed to producing a Workforce Development Strategy in respect of the youth work...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As mentioned by the Deputy, the Programme for Government commits to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child in the lifetime of this Government. My Department will build on significant progress in affordability that has already been made through a number of existing Schemes. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which provides two years of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I can further confirm to the Deputy that my Department has not carried out, sought or received reports or analysis on impacts that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector. However, before considering extending the scheme, in addition to the necessary statutory consultations, my Department consulted its key pledge stakeholders; the Irish Red Cross,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1770, 1773, 1775, 1777 and 1963 together. The State is currently accommodating over 33,000 people in over 320 IPAS centres around the country, about 9,000 of whom are children with their families. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) releases weekly statistics in relation to international protection (IP) applicants accommodated by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1771, 1772, 1774 and 1776 together. The safety and wellbeing of all residents and staff in our accommodation centres is our priority and we have guidelines in place for IPAS staff and Department officials in relation to responding quickly to any incidents, taking action to ensure people are safe. The health needs of international protection (IP) applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The level of pay for staff in the sector does not reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. As the State is not the employer of staff in the sector, neither I nor my Department can set their pay or determine working conditions. The Joint Labour Committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: Core Funding was introduced in September 2022. The Scheme is designed to improve affordability for parents through the introduction of fee management and contractual requirements on providers to offer the National Childcare Scheme and/or the ECCE programme. The Scheme aims to improve quality through better pay and conditions for the workforce by supporting agreement on Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The role of International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) is to provide accommodation to people who are applying for international protection. Providing reception conditions – accommodation and other basic supports – to people seeking international protection is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: As mentioned by the Deputy, the Programme for Government commits to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child. A number of existing Schemes will need to play a role to achieve these aims. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: I regret that statistics in respect of the total number of hotel rooms currently contracted to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) are not routinely collated by the Department. IPAS is currently providing accommodation to approximately 33,000 international protection (IP) applicants, in over 320 centres nationwide. IPAS does not routinely collate detailed information on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people at over 320 sites nationwide. Since 2024, IPAS has not published details of the specific locations or the capacity or occupancy of our accommodation centres. This is due to both safety and security concerns, and to protect the privacy of international protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (29 Apr 2025)

Norma Foley: In the Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has made a number of commitments with a view to strengthening the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, and protecting children in State care, including updating the Child Care Act, 1991. Following a review of the Child Care Act 1991, the Government in April 2023 approved the General Scheme and priority drafting of...