Results 7,121-7,140 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has had two contracts with the company listed during the past ten years. The costs were in respect of a software licence, renewed on an annual basis from 2015 to 2017 and a separate once off contract for training and development in 2016. The costs inclusive of all taxes are set out in the table below. YEAR COST 2017 10,036.80 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of the group the Deputy refers to through correspondence received in relation to the redevelopment and teaching of SPHE/RSE. Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Emergency Works applications to which the Deputy refers have been received by my Department and are under active consideration. Officials in my Department's Professional and Technical team are currently examining the applications from a technical perspective and once a recommendation has been made by the Professional and Technical team an update will issue to the school. My Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved funding under my Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the provision of a 2 Classroom Special Education Needs Base, 3 Mainstream Classrooms and Emergency Works for Fire Safety. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and a design team has been appointed by the school. I can confirm that my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of schools is the employer of school staff and my Department acts as paymaster on behalf of over 4000 schools. The Board of Management of schools will inform the Department of the appointment, re-appointment, resignation, retirement and natural conclusion of contracts in the schools so that salary and pension can be paid to school staff. The Board of Management of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 603 and 617 together. Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding was to support schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding was to support schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment. The new Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As outlined in my reply to your question of the 1st June 2023, the teachers unions have lodged a number of claims at the TCC in relation to incremental credit, and specifically a claim about private post primary teaching service outside the E.U. These claims are still under consideration. The Department will advise the TCC of the outcome on completion of this process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System 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. Additionally, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Each school is required to use the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015to plan a programme for each of the three years of the Junior Cycle that meets the requirements set out in the Framework and Circular 0028/2023. When planning its Junior Cycle programme, each school is required to take account of the school’s local context and the backgrounds, interests, and abilities of its students and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Choices regarding educational materials, textbooks, educational products as well as digital and online services to support the implementation of the curriculum in schools are made by individual schools and their boards of management. The current policy in the Department is not to endorse any products, publications or services from individual providers, therefore, it is not possible for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has had engagement with the schools to which the Deputy refers regarding their proposed amalgamation. As part of this, the schools' accommodation has been discussed. My Department is considering a proposed option to meet the long-term needs of the schools. There are multiple factors being assessed as part of this consideration, including technical feasibility, climate action...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and supporting small schools and I am delighted that significant progress has been made. In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to supporting a quality and inclusive school system that provides an equal opportunity at success for all children, including those at risk of educational disadvantage. The North East Inner City Multi-Disciplinary Team (NEIC MDT) comprises of Educational Psychologists from my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: While the Department of Education retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science now has policy responsibility for the further education sector. Youthreach is a further education and training programme for early school leavers which aims to provide young people with the knowledge, skills and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education’s Statement of Strategy sets out the vision, mission and goals in order to provide an education system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It aims to ensure that our school system is open and welcoming for all students, regardless of background, and that in particular learners...