Results 4,641-4,660 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my Department has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in our schools throughout the country, including the completion of over 800 school building projects with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 34 new school buildings. It is an absolute priority of the Department to ensure that every child in the state has access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 Feb 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: School Patronage (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government reflects the Government’s objective of continuing to expand the plurality of schools to reflect the full breadth of society. It sets out that “students of all religions and none should have access to education, regardless of their belief system”. The Programme for Government commitments in this area include:To achieve the target of at least...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Online Safety (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The existing curriculum at primary level offers multiple opportunities for the development of digital skills and digital literacy. At primary level the focus is on educating children to keep safe online, be respectful of others online and help teachers integrate internet safety into teaching and learning in their schools. There are extensive training and curricular supports available,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Thank you Deputy Smyth for raising this hugely important issue. Domestic violence is a heinous crime, and one which cannot be tolerated in any form or circumstance. Furthermore, we must do all that we can to support those who are affected by domestic violence. Domestic Violence Leave is a statutory leave regulated by the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. With effect...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is fully committed to supporting all children and young people to achieve their potential. As Minister, I have increased both universal and targeted supports aimed at removing barriers to achievement for all children, including young people who may be at risk of educational disadvantage as a result of caring commitments. To further the work of this Government in reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my Department has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 school building projects. Construction is currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 34 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Programme (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department has one item of priority legislation for publication in the spring session 2024 which is the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill. This Bill has two main purposes – to enable the provision of a number of supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions and to formally dissolve Caranua. The Government approved the provision of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 Feb 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: School Funding (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, Section 18 of the Education Act 1998 requires boards of management to keep all proper and usual accounts and records of all monies received by it or expenditure of such monies incurred by it. Boards are also required to make school accounts available for inspection by me and by parents of students in the school. The expansion of the FSSU to schools in the Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that 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. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in North County Dublin School Planning Areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Feb 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. The purpose of the Additional Schools Accommodation (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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures. My Department will examine existing traffic management and safety at a school grounds where we are looking a wider building project or as part of a planning application for an extension at a school. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools nationally through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners. The NEPS service provides access for all schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has recently completed Stage 2(b) Detailed Design. As the OGP have implemented Revised Public Works Contract documents as of July 27th 2023, the Design Team have been requested to further review their tender documents, as the Stage 2(b) Submission for this project predates this revision. The Design Team are to confirm...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question The purpose of the Additional Schools Accommodation (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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: At the outset I would note that while remote teaching and learning was a necessity during the pandemic, the teaching model in Ireland is for in-person teaching and learning delivered in school settings, notwithstanding that, to facilitate effective approaches to supporting learning in a remote environment, schools are advised to develop and adopt a model for learning that will support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE) was launched on a phased basis in September 2018. This was the first time Physical Education was recognised as an examinable subject. The first cohort of students were due to sit the first set of examinations in LCPE in May 2020; however, as a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19, students did not undertake exams as set out in the...