Results 2,821-2,840 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Without knowing the details, I cannot comment because I am not apprised of it. The Department works collaboratively with schools, particularly those benefiting, as the Deputy outlined, from a refurbishment or additional accommodation, whatever the case may be. We have a policy of engagement, co-operation and collaboration. I am confident the project the Deputy outlined is a significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I will have to speak more slowly.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: There are currently 161,000 young people transported every day via Bus Éireann. It is an enormous number and an important service. I have said previously in reply to other queries that planning for the 2024-25 school year begins in the previous year. It is well under way at this point. Applications for places on the buses opened in April and I think the closing date is around 7 June...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I do not underestimate the challenge it has posed for parents. Of the more than 161,000 young people transported, the vast majority were transported seamlessly and positively and it worked as it was supposed to. There were isolated instances here and there. I do not underestimate the difficulty that caused for parents and guardians, especially the last-minute nature. It is far from ideal....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The school in question has received approval in principle for a building project under my Department’s additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. The project will provide for two mainstream classrooms and two special education teaching rooms. This project is currently at stage 3, which is tender stage. The project is one of close to 90 projects with a total value of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I will be repeating myself now. The school transport scheme is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education, as we said. We have more than 161,600 young people availing of it. That figure is divided into children travelling on mainstream services and children with special educational needs who are travelling. The total cost of the scheme was in excess of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. The second-nearest school scheme is called the temporary alleviation measure, TAMS. It is in place currently and will be in place for the 2024-25 school year. I want to be clear in explaining what the TAMS actually means. Under that measure, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. The Deputy makes a fair point. If students are eligible and their first school is full, on receipt of verifying documentation the next school becomes the first school. I take the Deputy's point that people may not be sufficiently aware of that and it is something we should look at with regard to communication.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. To be fair, parents or guardians sometimes have a variety of reasons as to why it is necessary for them to bring their children to school or drive them to school. The reasons can be multifaceted and complex and parents and guardians should always have that freedom. Notwithstanding that, I know there are many parents who are very keen to be in a position to avail of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 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 more than 161,600 children are being transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country. This figure comprises more than 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: To be fair, the Deputy did not reference the route when the question was submitted. I will revert to her on this specific case. I will ask for it to be looked at.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 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, as I said previously, 161,600 children availed of or are availing of the school transport scheme. That comprises 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and almost 7,000 pupils who...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I want to reiterate that more than 161,000 young people are currently availing of the system. They are being transported to and from school every single day. It is a hugely important service. I come from a rural constituency. Nobody appreciates or understands its value as much as I do, and I know Deputies across the floor of the House understand that. However, we have a greater...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct there has been significant investment in Kildare in the past four years. Whether it is new schools or extension of school accommodation, the Department has not been found wanting. I will request an update on the school the Deputy mentioned and ensure he receives it. In the round, we are told there are 400 more places in the system for sixth class than is required....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy has a particular commitment to education and engages with me on an ongoing basis in relation to it. In the vast majority of areas, through the work of schools, their patron bodies, their management bodies and the Department of Education, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area for 2024-25. The Department is working with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The civic, social and political education, CSPE, programme, along with physical education, PE, and social, personal, and health education, SPHE, form the core pillars of the mandatory well-being aspect of the curriculum at junior cycle. The 100-hour CSPE short course, which was introduced in 2016 and updated in 2021, contributes to building the skills students need to contribute positively...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: All of our 722 post-primary schools provide CSPE. That includes our 232 DEIS schools. Oversight of that is by our inspectorate, which visits schools, whether on an unannounced basis, an incidental inspection or for a planned and longer term inspection. As part of the longer term inspection - the whole-school evaluation, as it is called - CSPE is inspected, verified and overseen by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: This is inspected by the inspectorate. All inspections of a school are published. They are available for perusal by anyone who wishes to do so. That is important and it speaks to the breadth of work that happens in schools every day and the excellence, determination and focus by staff in schools preparing students for the next chapters in their lives. It also speaks to the transparency...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Castlebar Educate Together National School was established as a four-class school under the terms of a divestment process in September 2016. I am very pleased to confirm that a capital project to provide a new permanent eight-classroom school building for the school is included in the Department of Education's school building programme pipeline. This capital project is at site acquisition...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department has not been found wanting in making the additional facilities available. At the time of the establishment in 2016, the school was designated as a four-classroom school with the agreement of the patron. That is what the patron agreed to, and it was agreed with the patron that enrolments would be managed within the available accommodation. It was agreed the school would grow...