Results 12,001-12,020 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of some local pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas across the country including north county Kildare. It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The use of bicycles is encouraged and secure cycle parking facilities are provided as part of major new builds and refurbishment projects, and in accordance with Planning Permission Conditions. Where no major project is being undertaken, the relevant mechanisms for addressing the type of issue raised by the Deputy are the Minor Works Grant for small-scale works or the Summer Works Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department operates the Schools Broadband Programme at an annual cost of some €13m, providing connectivity to schools through a range of technologies at the best level of connectivity available based on local infrastructure. The school referred to by the Deputy is currently on the best available service of 12mb wireless broadband connection, which is a dedicated service to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and for various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: On 17 February 2022, NPHET reviewed the remaining public health measures including the infection prevention control measures and restrictions in school settings.   Having closely considered relevant epidemiological data and other matters as set out in their letter of 17 February 2022, the Government accepted the recommendation of the NPHET to remove remaining restriction relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers was approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme to address issues in relation to their play areas and paths.  The Emergency Works Team are awaiting a tender report from the school, which once received will be assessed and if it is in order the school will be granted permission to appoint the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Mar 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, are 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is at the forefront of design 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 Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is at the forefront of design 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 Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: Today, I announced the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools. This will add an additional €32million to the Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023. This is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend additional resources to those schools most in need. For the first time since 2017 the DEIS programme is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: As announced last week the proposal offered relates only to school secretaries at present. As set out in the framework agreement of 14 September 2021, while there is agreement in principle to take the same approach to the consideration of appropriate pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers there remains a deficit of data on working terms and conditions of such staff. Should the proposal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: With respect to the transfer of this land, the current position is that the Heads of Terms for the contract are being finalised by my Department with the Health Service Executive (HSE). As this is a Minister owned site consent for disposal is being sought from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department will progress as quickly as possible the disposal of this particular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy as follows: The most up to date guidance in respect of the higher risk categories, for the education sector staff was published by the HSE in July 2021. As with all other guidelines around public health measures, my Department has been led by expert medical advice provided by the Government through the HSE and other relevant public bodies.  This HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The process referred to by the Deputy is outlined in a letter to school management bodies on 12 August 1998. The issue was part of the agreement on the pay and conditions  of school secretaries, considered under Clause 2 (iii) of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, and subsequent revisions of this agreement have been agreed through standard union engagement, most recently in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm that my Department received an application for capital funding in 2021 for a new sports hall from 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 need cannot be met by the school’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: As funding from my Department is not allocated or recorded on a county basis I am therefore not in a position to readily provide details on the amounts paid to schools in County Cork over the extensive period of time set out in the Deputy's Parliamentary Question. My Department is reviewing the information that is available to it and I will provide any such information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The DEIS programme provides for a range of supports including smaller class sizes, additional teaching posts, enhanced book grants, school meals, curriculum supports, priority access to Continuing Professional Development and Home School Community Liaison Coordinators. The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is a key support provided under the DEIS programme and is one of three...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (8 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school...