Results 9,281-9,300 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. In the round, more than 150,000 students are availing of school transport. There has been a 23% increase in overall uptake of tickets this year, with a 33% increase in the number of concessionary tickets. Of the €69 million provided for in the Supplementary Estimate, €20 million relates to the waiver of the scheme in the first place. Additional...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I will make no reference to it at all, with all due respect. On school secretaries, the Deputy will be aware that the Department has been in engagement with schools to gather specific data on school secretaries. School secretaries have a choice as to whether to opt in to the pay deal. All schools have been informed of the new rates of pay. The agreement will be backdated to September....

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: Different schools are moving at difference paces. On school halls, I understand the Deputy's point. I visit schools throughout the country all the time. I am aware of the issues and challenges. School halls are in the national development plan, which is running until 2030. It is a significant financial investment. A general purpose hall costs approximately €1 million and a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for his question. The summer provision programme has proven to be very successful and positive. I hear what is being said in terms of how it was originally envisaged and how it is progressing now. It is for children and young people with additional needs but also for those who are at risk of educational disadvantage. We have seen considerable investment by the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: We will do it well though. We manage money very well.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: Yes.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It is very much the intention that the review of the summer programme will be completed in advance of the provision of the programme for next summer. The entire focus is to find new ways to deliver it and to lessen the burden placed on schools. The ambition is that we would have that done. Regarding free books, we had a €50 million package available to us which meant that we could...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct that we have made significant progress on special educational needs, SEN, provision, whether in the special schools he mentioned or the additional places. Come next year, we will be in a position to say that almost 3,000 special class places are available. It is a huge number compared with where we were. I will revert to the Deputy on the specific case he raised in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will appreciate that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there were knock-on effects on our special schools and the development of community-based education. The Department has worked closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. We have had a number of engagements with her and with the wider partners in education on this. An agreement has been reached for CDNTs to return to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge this is a matter close to the Deputy's heart and that he has raised it on a number of occasions. It has also been raised with me when I have visited special schools and I hear the argument being made in its favour. He is correct that the Department will point to enhanced allocations in staffing. However, notwithstanding that, I have enormous admiration for the work that is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I will be clear about the case raised by Deputy Conway-Walsh. Any child or young person with a special educational need, for example, a child who is visually impaired, has an entitlement. I will be honest that in some areas there have been difficulties in recruiting additional drivers or procuring additional buses. There are no two ways about it, but that is notwithstanding the absolute...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I accept that. For example, as regards the nearest school, the Deputy will appreciate that I introduced a temporary alleviation measure this year and last year, which means students who meet the criteria are now eligible for free transport to what might not be their nearest school. It can also be their next nearest school. There is an element of choice to facilitate them. The review is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I will revert to the Deputy on that. The whole impetus for the current review of the school transport system is to ensure that we gain the advantage of the maximum number of children and young people availing of the bus. This ensures there are less people transporting children to school. There are a wide variety of reasons for doing this review including from a climate point of view, as...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy sharing his experiences of the Gaelscoil. I visited it myself and I have seen at first hand the excellent operation. I am very pleased to hear of the initiative he referenced. As he noted, we have already secured €5 million and it is very much the ambition of the Department to run this as a pilot. It is not before time. It can be an invaluable resource to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In general, we are speaking across all our schools of distributed leadership. I acknowledge that the principal alone cannot and should not have to carry everything. We are now in a position where one in three in our schools is a post holder of some type or other. From having been in schools myself, I am aware there is a view that it is to the advantage of the school to have this...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the work of all our education partners, and I include the parents here, and how invaluable that partnership approach is. Engagement with my Department and the National Parents Council Post-Primary is ongoing and my understanding is that there are some outstanding questions that need to be resolved. There is also a governance review under way and it is important that be allowed...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. The Chair referenced the independence or otherwise of the governance review. There was an open tender process for that and that would be the correct procedure one would normally follow in any instance. I do not think we can get anything more independent than an open tender. Indeed it was discussed with the NPCPP. The terms were also shared with the NPCPP and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I absolutely welcome the Chair's involvement and engagement and that is exactly what I would anticipate and expect from the committee. I have no issue at all and will be very happy to provide the Chair with the fullest of information regarding the review and engagement we have had. I reiterate that I look forward to the outstanding questions being answered as a priority and as expeditiously...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: As I said, in due course-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: -----I will give the committee the full list of information available to me about the review and the engagement that we have had. I will ensure that is made available to the committee.