Results 21-40 of 235 for going forward speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Our inspectors have done a considerable body of work in that space. That work is continuing. Every day, we are conscious of areas in which we can improve things going forward. I would not for one minute say there have not been impacts as a consequence of Covid. I outlined other measures, such as the summer provision and the additional class hours, that we provided. Right throughout...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: ...system under review. It is my hope that we might have additional funding to run a second stream of this. We received 2,727 applications for the funding. We will keep everything under review going forward. I hear what the Deputy is saying, but there was a fair method used in the context of the process. It was fair insofar as no favouritism was shown to one school above another.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. Perhaps there are opportunities to combine the two going forward. We do keep it under review and I will keep the Deputy updated.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: ...body of work and an important piece of work. The whole area of special education, particularly in the last number of years, has really evolved. It is a personal view in terms of how we move forward. There is a vision that there would be colocation, that is, there would be a mainstream school and a special school all within the one campus with a view to integration. There would be a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: We engage with all the stakeholders through forward planning, etc. We look at the local authorities and know their projections. We look at housing developments and many other different things in forward planning or future planning. I cannot give the Deputy a specific answer on Sixmilebridge and whether there is sufficient demand there. I will have to revert to the planning and building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: ...’s payroll system is being undertaken to generate statistics on the teacher workforce across the country for the 2023-2024 school year and will use this for reporting on workforce statistics going forward. This will include statistics on the Full Time Equivalents (FTE), permanent and fixed contracts, with breakdowns possible by County. This work began recently and is ongoing, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: ...’s payroll system is being undertaken to generate statistics on the teacher workforce across the country for the 2023-2024 school year and will use this for reporting on workforce statistics going forward. This will include statistics on the Full Time Equivalents (FTE), permanent and fixed contracts, with breakdowns possible by County. This work began recently and is ongoing, the...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Norma Foley: ...weekend, on Sunday, to work with senior management, and again on Monday when the school reopened. They are there every single day to support these children and the school community as it finds a way forward after this horrific and tragic incident. We tell our young people in our schools that all will be well when we work together in solidarity, mind each other, support each other and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...to the issue. I have no problem whatsoever in reiterating and making it very clear that this is not acceptable practice. This is very clearly provided for in the education Act. It is not now or going forward appropriate for any fee to be charged for enrolment or tuition in any education subject on the curriculum.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: To be fair, our geographical information system, which is based on current information from the CSO or engagement with local authorities, very much informs our projections going forward in terms of the needs in a specific area. I have already outlined that we are conscious of the growing demands.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I confirm the Deputy is correct, the building, which was the parish hall, has been closed since 2020. It will form part of the school going forward. Currently, whether it can be used by the community is a matter for the parish. When it becomes part of the school, it will be a matter for the board of management, but we have clear guidelines, which we consistently update. We recommend that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...moving it towards the project manager framework. It is our intention to expedite it as quickly as possible for the benefit of the school community. Ultimately, decisions about the use of the hall going forward will then be a matter for the board of management of the school.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: -----as we go forward.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...representatives, who are very committed. I want to be clear that the Department is working hard, is looking at availability across the area, and will be making further observations on what is available and what the potential is going forward. We will seek to do all we can to keep the Deputy updated on that. It is our aim to ensure there is adequate provision of places to accommodate...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...and students engaged, as did those currently using the service, others who would like to use it and the providers. It is a significant body of work that will make for an interesting pathway forward. It will go to a pre-Cabinet meeting, then the Cabinet and ultimately be published. Depending on what is agreed, it will demand significant resources to make it a reality. Regarding the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...that engagement. Very positive work is being done on the workplace plan, which will give us further information on the numbers of bus escorts, how they operate in our schools and what needs to be done going forward. I am very favourably disposed to doing anything we can to improve the experience of bus escorts. Policy will be informed, in the first instance, by what comes out of the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...will be opportunities down the line to do things differently in terms of digital devices and all of that but we had to start where we could start. We are where we are but that is not to say that going forward things will be different.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: No, we provide the textbooks. Things will evolve over time. We are doing a review of how things have operated at primary level. I have no doubt there will be a review of how things will operate going forward at junior cycle and that will inform us in future. On the needs, particularly in terms of the issue raised by the Deputy, the initiative would probably be more pertinent at junior...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: -----all new schools, particularly post-primary, will automatically have special classes. That is all the new builds and new schools going forward. We are trying to fill where we did not have capacity. It was never right that we had not adequate provision for special education. The best education is one that meets the needs of a child. I that is in a special school, it is a special...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: ...every year. We had the single largest expansion of the DEIS scheme last year at a cost of €32 million. One in four of our students benefits from DEIS supports, so it is significant. As regards going forward, I hear what the Deputy is saying. He is particularly invested in access to DEIS. An OECD review of DEIS is currently being undertaken. The reviewers were here during the...