Results 2,401-2,420 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equal Opportunities Employment (10 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Part V of the Disability Act 2005 requires that public bodies promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and ensure that 3% of staff employed by them are people with disabilities. The requirement applies to the Department of Education and certain of its aegis bodies. The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities for 2015 – 2024, commits the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Due to Data Protection legislation, it is not possible to provide details regarding an individual’s pension entitlements through this format. This personal information can be provided to an individual on direct request to the Department. Therefore, I advise the Deputy to direct the individual concerned to contact ccfinancial@education.gov.ie with their queries. Once received,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: In 2024, over €47 million is allocated to continue implementation of the schoolbooks scheme at primary school level. On the 8th May I announced details of year 2 of the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme which provides, at a minimum, free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks to pupils in recognised primary and special schools. More than 555,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Citizens' Assembly (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education is of high importance to me and the Department of Education as is including the voice of children in the process. The Programme for Government commits to establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education ensuring that the voices of young people and those being educated are central. The establishment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Schools and other educational institutions are required to comply with anti-discrimination and other employment legislation, such as the Employment Equality Act 1998. Section 37 (1) of the Employment Equality Act, 1998, as amended, requires relevant employers in schools with a religious ethos to show that any favourable treatment of an employee or prospective employee is limited to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department and its officials do not use ChatGPT, or any other form of AI, to generate official text for Dáil speeches or responses to Parliamentary Questions.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Equipment (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018 and any personal data breaches, including lost or stolen laptops and mobile phones, since its introduction are dealt with under the regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Department is committed to the highest level of data protection for the personal data which it processes and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. As part of its remit, the SEC provides Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (the RACE Scheme) to support students with a complex variety of special educational needs. A central tenet of the RACE Scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide a single classroom SEN base. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority. My Department has received a tender report from the school which is subjected to the required due diligence as specified in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places are kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. A Geographical Information System is used to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.9 billion to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. The Minor Works Grant is one important element of a record level of capital investment in school infrastructure. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I would like to thank the Deputy for his enquiry in relation to this particular school. The school referred to by the Deputy is part of the Pilot Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) Bundle and the SEN extension for the school is being delivered by the PPP Company. Planning consent for this extension has been secured and the scope of the project has been finalised. The PPP Company are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Education Ministers meet as part of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council. The Council will next meet in its Education formation on 25th November.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department. For school planning purposes the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Leave of Absence following Assault Scheme, which is contained in the Department’s Circular Letter 0061/2017 for teachers and 0062/2017 for SNAs, provides for special leave with pay (subject to specified limits) to a teacher or special needs assistant who is unable to perform their duties due to a physical injury following an assault that happened in the course of their duties and...