Results 8,001-8,020 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. My Department’s approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector is predicated on establishing a credible phased pathway to zero...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Education is the great leveller, and it is crucially important that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This is a core belief of my own, and one which has been affirmed by government. Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: New schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Education is the great leveller, and we must do all that we can in order to support all students and young people accessing education in its fullest sense. In this respect, the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be undoubtedly aware, digital technologies and skills are now an everyday feature of both children and young people’s lives. We need to ensure that children and young people are fully equipped with the relevant skills, including digital skills, to allow them get the most from their education journey, to equip them for their future careers, but also to protect them...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: This major building project for St Mary’s Academy CBS is included in my Department’s school building programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. It is being delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering" and uses a professional external Project Manager to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Teacher allocations to all post primary schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts for the 2023/24 school year was communicated to schools in January and are available on the Department website. A number of Education and Training Boards (ETBs) receive teaching posts on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. My Department’s approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector is predicated on establishing a credible phased pathway to zero...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: A major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's school building programme. The project is to provide a new 8-classroom school building which will also incorporate special classes. The delivery of this project has been devolved to Louth County Council, which will act as the contracting authority for the project. The project is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The school accommodation ‘Project Nore' bundle is comprised of seven school projects which is devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). The two schools referred to by the Deputy have been approved major building projects by my Department and are included in the ‘Project Nore’ bundle. The briefs for the two respective schools comprise are for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (23 Mar 2023)

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 my Department. In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has reached Agreement in Principle with Clare County Council for the acquisition of a permanent site to accommodate the school referred to by the Deputy. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process is at an advanced stage. Due to commercial and legal sensitivities associated with site acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to provide further details at this time....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, a very significant agreement was reached between my Department and Forsa, the union representing school secretaries and caretakers. This deal, which was reached after extensive engagement between the Department and Fórsa, provides for significant improvements in the terms and conditions of school secretaries. Fórsa agreed to recommend the package of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at ensuring that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification. The Department's policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty four research projects at various stages including the energy website...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 111 together. The current primary Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum dates from 1999. It does not make specific reference to transgender or LGBT identities. It does value diversity, it is founded on principles of inclusion and it promotes the use of inclusive and respectful language. Teaching of SPHE and Relationships and Sexuality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Mar 2023)

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 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (23 Mar 2023)

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 my Department. The Deputy may be aware that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for early years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) and supports for teachers and principals. The professional development needs of teachers are met through the provision of an induction programme for newly-qualified teachers, dedicated support for school leaders, national CPD for curricular and policy reform, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: In regard to religious instruction,  under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, where schools provide religious instruction, they must clearly set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the...