Results 9,581-9,600 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The decision making authority for any amalgamation or change of status is the patron/trustees of the schools, subject to the approval of the Department. Any proposed change involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers, local communities and contributes to an inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. In July 2022, Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is active in the area of promotion of health and wellbeing in schools. Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices when faced with a range of difficult issues, including drugs, alcohol and gambling. This is mainly done through the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the deputy is a campus project for two schools in Wexford. It has been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). The Department recently received the final Stage 1 Report, by means of follow-up to the Stage 1 meeting held with WWETB and its Design Team. The Department is engaging with WWETB in relation to the options for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In February of this year, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot was undertaken, and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal. Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to implement this agreement has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. In July 2022, Government announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Cavan & Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). I am pleased to inform you that the project was recently approved by the Department to proceed to Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. The next step for the Design Team will be to obtain thestatutory planning approvals. While at this early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme in respect of the school referred to by the Deputy. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently planning for the delivery of a major campus project on the site referred to by the Deputy. The project will deliver two new 1,000 pupil post-primary school buildings for the two schools in question as well as a new primary school building. The accommodation brief for the campus project is currently being developed and my Department is continuing to engage with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department does not provide funding to schools for educational trips or visits of this nature. However, Léargas, the National Agency for the Erasmus+ EU Programme in the area of schools education and youth, has advised of the following that may be useful. One of the key actions of the Erasmus+ Programme available to schools is Mobility for Pupils and Staff in School Education....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March 2022 I announced that arrangements are being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that have no multi-denominational primary schools at present as part of a pilot reconfiguration arrangement. This work involves identifying potential schools and engaging with school authorities, school staff and the school communities, including parents, with a view to agreeing on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It is not appropriate that resources or materials produced or funded by the drinks industry, for education and awareness on alcohol, are in use in our schools. As the Deputy may be aware, this position is set out in Departmental Circular 13/2016, Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools, which states that schools should avoid using resources developed by the alcohol industry. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (15 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. The Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development and supports for teachers and principals. The Department ensures that a range of high-quality models of CPD is provided to teachers and school leaders...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (10 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It is not appropriate that resources or materials produced or funded by the drinks industry, for education and awareness on alcohol, are in use in our schools. That is reflected in Departmental Circular 13/2016, Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools, which states that schools should avoid using resources developed by the alcohol industry, and in the National Council for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. The capital allocation for my Department is €860m for 2023. This provides a platform for strong rollout of school building projects and delivering on the ambitions set out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The school building programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in the area referred to by the Deputy, may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: According to the Department's Geographical Information System, the area referred to by the Deputy is in the Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area. 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 System, utilising data from a range of sources...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (9 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department facilitates secondments of officials to other organisations, as a result of their particular skillsets, to meet specific business needs and/or to facilitate career development opportunities. There are currently four civil servants who are on secondment from my Department to a State agency or other public body, on a fixed-term contract basis, in roles which attract a higher...