Results 4,821-4,840 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (1 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: On behalf of my colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine I can advise that this Department provides funding each year through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme to registered animal welfare charities for the care and welfare of animals. Animal welfare remains a key priority for the Minister and for the Government, and considerable funding is provided to support these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers includes an extension to the existing school buildings, decanting if required, necessary to satisfactorily develop the post primary school on its existing site to cater for an enrolment of 700 pupils. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and it has appointed a design team to progress the project. The Stage 2b architectural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2024)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 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: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery. The shared education campus at Donaghcumper, Celbridge is part of a bundled school building programme. My Department is aware of the demographic pressures in the area and the importance of this special school project in particular. The project is progressing through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme and will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including 6 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. Representatives of the school have viewed the plans for the new school in advance of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 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 the 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...

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

Norma Foley: I appreciate the opportunity to be here and meet with the committee for its consideration of the Department's Revised Estimates for 2024. I am accompanied by a number of officials from the Department. These Estimates set out the allocations for the Department of Education under Vote 26. This includes funding for all of the services normally provided by my Department. Additional...

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

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Right across society, we are conscious that there have most definitely been impacts from Covid. In the Department, we previously provided significant funding through the catch-up fund in order that additional resources could be made available to schools. This was so that they could decide what best met the needs of students. Equally, there is significant funding and...

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: There is a very strong view regarding all the necessary precautions that needed to be taken. Significant resources were provided by the Department in the form of PPE, hand sanitiser, reimagining the layout of buildings, etc. A great deal of work was done. Huge credit has to be given in respect of the period during which there was a need for remote teaching and learning. We would be in a...

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

Norma Foley: As previously outlined, there was a phenomenal number of applications for the €1.5 million. I want to be clear and say that it was part of the application process. It was clearly outlined that €1.5 million was available. Maximum grants of approximately €10 million were made available. As stated, if all the applications had been successful, it would have cost...

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

Norma Foley: I accept the Deputy's bona fides in the context of what she is saying. I do not want to take away from the excellent work being done by principals in all schools, be they DEIS or non-DEIS. Other schools look at the DEIS schools and see that they are getting considerable additional funding. This application process was open to all schools. As I said previously, we keep the entire system...

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

Norma Foley: I accept that this topic is close to the Deputy's heart and that she has raised it previously. Education is part of the Government's islands strategy. On resettlement, I understand that the opportunities that are available are being considered. Mr. Hubert Loftus, who is here with me, is head of the Department's planning and building unit. The Department looks at the numbers and the...

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: I mentioned earlier that there has been a very successful roll-out of the scheme in primary schools. We have taken an incremental approach from the primary schools right up to post-primary. The first step there is the junior cycle. The roll-out will be very similar to what has been done in the primary schools. Currently, we have a review of how things have worked in the primary schools...