Results 1,461-1,480 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that there is an appeals mechanism in relation to decisions under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my department to address concentrated educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Deputy may be aware that a new Junior Cycle SPHE specification was introduced in schools for those entering first year in September 2023, and in September of this year, an updated SPHE curriculum for Senior Cycle has been made available for schools to introduce by September 2027 for students entering fifth year. The Junior Cycle specification was the first to be updated. The new Junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, details of which are available at . I can confirm that officials in my Department have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disabilities Assessments (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. Children and young people are prioritised for NEPS involvement by the school principal, or by a staff member designated by the Principal It is advisable for parents to discuss their concerns with the school principal with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2025 (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that Budget 2025 provides an increase of €712 million in core current funding to my Department's Vote, as well as over €360 million in core capital funding. An additional €120 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living supports and €140 million in Ukraine related supports. These additional funds build on significant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. 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, using...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I refer to Deputy Ward’s question on the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). NEPS is the psychological service of the Department of Education and provides educational psychology support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. NEPS is a schools-based service and each NEPS psychologist is assigned to a group of schools. NEPS provides access for all schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, include guidance for the provision of lifts in multi-level new school builds for wheelchair users and for those with a disability. The General Design Guidelines for Schools - Primary & Post-Primary (TGD– 020) includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Official Engagements (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that since the formation of the Government, no media have accompanied any Minister for Education at any international events or engagements.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline of projects under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The project will provide 7 General Classrooms, 5 SET rooms, 2 Art rooms/2 Project stores, 1 Music room, 1 Multimedia room, 1 Textiles room and 2 classroom Special Education Needs (SEN) base. In addition, approval has been granted for two...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department is aware of this case. The Department has a responsibility to ensure that overpayments of exchequer funding are recouped and that all schools are treated fairly. A response will issue to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...