Results 4,761-4,780 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 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 Enrolments (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in North Kildare. A critical next step for my Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers. For example, to meet longer-term teacher demand, higher education institutions have developed new 4 year initial teacher education programmes in a number of post-primary priority subject areas, including Home Economics. There are currently a number of providers of home economics Initial Teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has a building project which is included on the Department's Capital Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). My Department has received a proposal from the patron regarding their long term accommodation needs. This proposal is currently being examined and my Department is in ongoing discussions with the patron in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (7 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 Naas. A critical next step for my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 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 Accommodation (7 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy was granted approval under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 11 general classrooms, 3 SET rooms, 1 multimedia room, 1 textiles room, 1 science lab/prep area, and a 2 classroom SEN base. An additional SEN base was also subsequently approved. The project is devolved for delivery to Mayo Sligo and Leitrim ETB (MSLETB). My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). It is currently at Stage 2b of the process, which allows for detailed design/planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. When this stage is finalised, the next stage is tendering for a contractor and then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy, was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 5 general classrooms and 2 science labs and a shared prep area and ancillary. The brief was subsequently increased to include a 4-class SEN base. In December 2023, the school were issued comments based on the Stage 1 report from my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As Minister, I am committed to inclusive education for all. My Department is fully committed to creating safe and supportive environments in schools that are welcoming and inclusive for every student. The area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for my Department. This includes promoting emotional wellbeing, resilience and positive coping skills, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: A list of the schools in Cavan and Monaghan that applied for STEM grants in 2023 is attached. Kilnaleck N.S Barrack Rd, Kilnaleck Cavan The Model School Bailieborough Cavan St. Patrick’s N.S Corlough, Belturbet P.O, Co. Cavan H14RP30 Cavan Scoil Mhuire National School ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 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: Children in Care (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021, Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), including the administration of the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP) is under my remit. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the school referred to was approved for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The project will provide 8 General Classrooms, 4 SET rooms, 1 Music room, 1 Textiles room, 1 Art Room, 1 Project store, 1 Multimedia room, 2 Science laboratory /1 Preparation area, 1 Library, and 1 General Purpose/Dining Room. The project is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The school campus building project on the site referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme and will deliver two new 1,000 pupil post-primary schools and a new 8 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 14 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As you 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: School Transport (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which means that many allowances, including this one, were no longer payable to “new entrant” Teachers. Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to assure the Deputy, that the provision of appropriate accommodation for pupils with special education needs is an absolute priority. I also wish to acknowledge the invaluable work being done by school principals and wider school authorities in expanding the educational provision for pupils with special educational needs, including the required physical infrastructure. I would like to...