Results 5,141-5,160 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. Over 134,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm that the decision making authority for any change of status is the patron/trustees of the school(s), subject to the approval of my Department. To date my Department has not received any application from the patron for a change of status for the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department understands that there has been discussions on this matter locally and that it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 and 661 together. The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a joint campus project with another primary school and a post-primary school. My Department authorised the Design Team to retender the project as the first tranche of tenders were deemed unviable. The Design Team applied for a new planning permission...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The project, to which the Deputy refers, has been devolved for delivery to Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) for the provision of a new 32-classroom primary school and a 2-class SEN base. Following receipt of a detailed design and planning report from LCETB's design team, the Department recommended enhancements to the project, which related principally to the proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the successful schools were detailed in the press release of the 20thDecember 2023 www.gov.ie/en/press-release/806d0-minister-for-education-ann ounces-trebling-of-budget-for-stem-grants-for-schools-to-47- million/.I have attached the list of schools for your information. The split between DEIS and non-DEIS of the successful schools is as follows; ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 655, 656 and 657 together. Caretakers are valued and vital members of the school system. The majority of primary and post-primary schools receive assistance to provide for caretaker services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a caretaker under these grant schemes to support those functions, those staff members are employees of the individual schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (17 Jan 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 Curriculum (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The information that the Deputy requested is set out in tabular form in the attached spreadsheets. The information is based on the annual October Returns which were submitted to the Department by Post Primary schools.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, Caranua was established in 2013 to disburse the contributions of €110m (€111.38m including interest) provided by the religious congregations following the publication of the Ryan Report by funding approved services to support the needs of former residents who, as children, suffered abuse in relevant institutions. As the funding available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The allocation of an Administrative Principal is based on the enrolment in the school. The thresholds are set out in Appendix B of the staffing circular each year. Where a school with an administrative principal, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, has maintained the required enrolment on the previous 30th September, the additional position will be retained. Staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval under the Additional School Accommodation scheme has issued to the school authority in question for the provision of six classrooms. The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, is devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The large scale project provides for an extension to the existing school, the demolition of a section of the building and the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings. My Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM grant scheme was for all primary, post-primary and special schools within the free education system including DEIS. Given the 2,727 valid applications with asks of over €25m and the total funding available of €4.7m, a decision was made by my Department to run a lottery. The proposals were selected by lottery with the applications assessed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) scheme for the provision of a 2 classroom SEN Base and central activity room. A Stage 2b report was received in Quarter 4 of 2023, and is currently under review by officials in my Department. Once this review is complete, the school authority will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, officials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Dublin City Council on an ongoing basis in relation to the land swap for Gaelscoil Cholmcille. Department officials also provide the patron body with regular updates. Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education provides a payroll service to over 133,000 school staff in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. In 2023, the Department issued some 3.35 million pay slips to school staff and the postage cost was €2.99m. Between April and May 2023, the Department offered an "opt in" service via the Digital Postbox from which time school staff could choose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Neither my Department nor the State Examinations Commission has any role in relation to the mock examinations. Decisions relating to mock examinations are a matter for individual schools.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The application referred to by the Deputy, has been received and is currently under review by my Department. The review is expected to be completed shortly and Department officials will notify school authorities directly on the outcome and the next steps to progress this project.