Results 9,341-9,360 of 19,601 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: It is never envisaged that students should fall out of the loop as it were. Even when students receive an exemption, it is very clear that they are encouraged to continue to experience Irish in the school and class and to participate and be part of Irish. The agenda is not for students to fall out of the loop. The works under way via the Department are quite considerable. We have our...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I cannot speak to the Deputy's experience but I also have considerable experience in the school sector. I know that schools must be in a position to produce the portfolio showing the interventions over a two-year period; for example, where there has been engagement with the special education teacher and the various interventions introduced into the school. When the inspectorate visits a...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In the first instance, aontaím leis that there is a dual agenda here. One is to support children with special educational needs, and the second is to support the growth and advancement of the Irish language. We are on the same page in respect of that. With regard to the supports we provide to children and young people with special educational needs, and I referenced it earlier, we...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Regarding the supports that are being provided to children and young people, I will be very clear. I have referenced it a number of times and do not wish to repeat it but instances of a derogation or an exemption being provided for Irish only happen after two years of intervention in the school where particular supports have been put in place, whether it is differentiated learning or...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In terms of the monitoring, I want to be very clear. When the inspectorate, whose representatives are more at liberty here to give the detail, visits a school, whether for a subject inspection, a whole-school evaluation, WSC, or whatever type of inspection, the data on exemptions being provided are available to its officials and are then obviously available within the Department. It is...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In fairness, when looking at that increase, we are talking about 1.9% at primary level, and when compared to 2017, when it was at 3.3%, it is a significant decrease at primary level. Compared with the figures from 2017 at post-primary level, they are almost static at 10.5% currently and 9.4% in 2017. We are seeing changes in the education system too, which we need to acknowledge. We are...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: That is the aidhm. That is the objective, in as far as possible if the student can access that. If an exemption has been given previously, it has been given on the strength of two years of intervention and working with the student. There is an ultimate recognition that the student is particularly challenged in this area and that it is creating certain difficulties in not allowing them to...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The policy for outside the Gaeltacht areas is progressing and it will go to public consultation before the end of this week. That is important. The Deputy referred to daoine ag féachaint ar an nGaelainn mar fhadhb, looking at Irish as a problem as opposed to a gift or a positive. I want to be very clear. Within the Department, we look upon it as integral to our identity and our...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: With regard to the increase in the number of students applying for or receiving exemptions, we have an increase in the number of students who are coming from abroad and a significant increase in the number of students who are presenting with a special educational need. Therefore, in acknowledgement of that, we will see an element of increase in the exemptions. We have also introduced a...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Everybody who comes before a committee will have their own breadth of vision and experience. What I will say is that I have an obligation to balance the needs of all of the children and young people in the education system. We have actually seen a decrease in exemptions at primary school level to 1.9% compared to 3.3% in 2017. At post-primary level, we are talking about 9.4% in 2017 and...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: It will go to public consultation. I cannot give the Deputy the exact date of when it will be completed but it is a very positive step forward that it will go to public consultation. With regard to students taking another language, I wish to be very clear that if it has been identified after a series of interventions that a student cannot access the Irish language, it is identifiable. I...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Tá brón orm ach tá cruinniú eile agam.

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Is é sin an t-am a tugadh dom. That was the time that was given to me. Tá brón orm.

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I absolutely understand the point the Deputy is making. The point that I am making is that in the education system, we do all we can to encourage, support and motivate the students in the Irish language. If they have a particular challenge, which is often identified by themselves, their parents or guardians and if we have worked with them over a considerable length of time and introduced a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360, 361, 363, 420, 421 and 422 together. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware Budget 2023 provided for the provision of funding from the Climate Action Fund in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output. This is really positive news for our schools and will assist with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings. It is intended the provision of the solar panels...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: A project for the school referred to by the deputy received approval under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to construct a one-classroom SEN Base and two mainstream classrooms. I can confirm that the school was issued approval to proceed to the planning stage of the project by my Department in October 2021. A Stage 2b Report was received in my Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365, 366, 367, 368 and 387 together. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the deputy has been approved a modular framework project under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The Department is aware that the design team is currently finalising construction of the modular accommodation and it is due on site shortly. The school authority has provided an update to the Department regarding works to the existing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (25 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Decisions in relation to educational tours by schools are a matter for each individual school. In accordance with the Department's circulars the objective of an educational tour should be to provide a significant benefit in the educational, intellectual, cultural...