Results 8,641-8,660 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I just want to be clear. I have every confidence in the integrity of the officials of my Department and in how they have conducted their business not just with the NPCPP but with all with whom they engage. The draft review is now with the NPCPP. It is an independent process and for that reason it is not appropriate for me to meet with the council. It has an opportunity to comment on the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The interim proposal was made in discussions between officials of my Department and the primary school parents' group.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will recall that I referenced that at the outset when I spoke about Cineáltas. I acknowledged the committee's work.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: For the record, the Department did not purchase the site. It was purchased subject to planning and the project is now going through the planning process. There is an issue around that. However, it is my understanding that it was only purchased subject to planning. There is further-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: My understanding is that the site has been purchased subject to planning. It appears that there may be some constraints, difficulties or challenges associated with the site but the Department is engaging with the patron and the relevant body, the local authority or whatever it might be, in that regard. The process is ongoing but the site has been purchased subject to planning.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: It is important to acknowledge that there appears to be some challenges and that these will have to be worked through first. That is my understanding. I will look into the matter to see if there is any additional information that I do not have at present and revert to the Chair but it is my understanding that the site has only been purchased subject to planning.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I am satisfied it was an appropriate review. It was a consequence of a procurement process. It was and remains an independent review.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: No.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Absolutely. I do not know the detail of it but I fully hear the case the Deputy is making. If he leaves it with me, I will get one of my officials to revert to him. Out of interest, what is the distance when the route is traversable?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Okay. I do not know the detail on it but I assure the Deputy I will get one of my officials to revert to him on it.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the excellent work of the REALTs on the ground. They have been invaluable to us. They are based in our education and training boards, ETBs, and have done tremendous work. They are a mirror of the excellent work that is taking place every day in our schools, which have been so flexible and resilient. As the Deputy noted, there are now more than 14,000 Ukrainian students in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge, and the Deputy will appreciate, that great strides have been made on BusConnects and its linkages. They are invaluable, especially, as the Deputy said, in rural constituencies. I have seen the benefit of that. The more we can increase the opportunity for people to take public transport, the better the benefit. The impetus for the school transport review is to look at a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Chair is aware, the matter is subject to a number of legal cases and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it at this point.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Critical thinking is a part of all of the various syllabuses provided by the Department and rolled out in our schools. From experience, I know children and young people are well-versed on simple initiatives such as advertising and a critical reading of whatever is available online or in a paper. Spotting what constitutes truth and what constitutes what the Chair refers to as disinformation...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Yes. Everything is being examined in terms of eligibility. Traditionally, school transport was to the nearest school. The Deputy will be aware that I introduced a temporary alleviation measure at post-primary level, which meant that schools were eligible for transport to their nearest or second nearest school. All of this is being examined as part of the review.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I understand that and it is important that there will be a process because I fundamentally believe everybody should be entitled to be engaged in this, including parents, students, local communities, potential parents, schools and staff. Everybody needs to be part of the process. It should not be imposed as that can bring challenges. It is the right way to go and we will learn from the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, it is a €5 million scheme on a pilot basis. A considerable body of work is being done within the Department and with experts on the model that will be used for it and which will best meet the needs of schools and be most appropriate to the student body with which we are dealing, especially the younger cohort of students. It is our expectation that work will be...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be careful not to cross into the remit of local authorities. I am aware from my own experience that there can be very positive and proactive engagement between local authorities and local schools in terms of improving access, particularly if the school is located on a busy road or whatever the case might be. That would be a matter for the local authority. In terms of provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183, 190, 193, 202, 213, 224, 235, 247 and 253 together. In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education's social media accounts posted a total of 69 videos during 2022. Of these all but 9 included closed captioning or subtitling, where three of those that did not have closed captions were Irish language versions of a video where the English version did have closed captions. This equates in percentage terms to 86 per cent. 16 social media videos (23 per cent) included...