Results 12,441-12,460 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Site Acquisition (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has initiated a site identification and assessment exercise for a 1,000 pupil post primary school in the area in question and its environs. While a site acquisition process is underway and, given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time A similar exercise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I would like to assure the Deputy that the provision of accommodation for pupils with special education needs is a priority for my Department and my officials are aware of the pressing requirement for the provision of post primary classes for pupils with special education needs in the area to which the Deputy refers. My Department is considering all options for the school in question...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 to additional schools. This package follows an extensive body of work which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Funding of €20 million is being made available in 2022 so as to enable all schools to purchase books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy resource banks. This funding is additional to that already given for the school books rental scheme and book grants to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. The updated guidance for schools is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Feb 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that awareness of the European Union is raised through teaching and learning around citizenship at every level from Early Years to post primary. Aistear, the curriculum for Early Years is based on twelve principles for early learning and development, one of which is Citizenship. It promotes the concept of citizenship and social justice with children and respects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Students who are unable to take their 2022 Leaving Certificate examinations in June due to serious illness, Covid-related illness based on public health advice at that time, or due to close family bereavement, will have access to an alternative sitting of the examinations. The alternative set of examinations is intended to commence shortly following the first set of examinations. There...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 provides for the registration of children being educated, and assessment of education provision, in places other than recognised schools. The register is maintained by Tusla Alternative Education Assessment and Registration service. With regard to alternative education in “out-of-school” services, these are generally a provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Conservation (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has been chosen as part of the 2022 Pathfinder programme to undergo extensive fabric upgrade to improve the energy performance of the building and installation of renewable energy solutions. My Department understands that the project at this school is proceeding as planned with the school management engaging with the design team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As a result of Budget 2022, 1,330 additional teaching posts will be funded in the 2022/23 school year, to cater for a reduction in pupil teacher ratio at primary level and additional teachers in special education. Staffing arrangements for the 2022/23 school year will be published in the coming weeks and it is at this stage, schools will be able to establish their staffing for September and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Conservation (1 Feb 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: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I would like to assure the Deputy that the provision of accommodation for pupils with special education needs is a priority for my Department and my officials are aware of the pressing requirement for the provision of post primary classes for pupils with special education needs in Ballincollig. My Department is working to put appropriate accommodation in place as quickly as possible in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department acts as paymaster for teachers employed by the management authorities of Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive Schools. My Department does not make pension contributions on behalf of teachers. However, during 2021 my Department facilitated the deduction of €204.7m in pension contributions from teachers in respect of their membership of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question, for capital funding under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme (ASA). This application is currently being processed by my officials. The school authorities will be contacted with a decision when the assessment process has been completed. The purpose of the ASA scheme is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: There are developments in two areas of my Department’s policies concerning sexual harassment. Firstly, in relation to the school curriculum, Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS Programme - 687 Primary and 197 Post Primary, serving over 180,000 pupils. This represents approximately 20% of the overall school population. The total Department spend...