Results 15,341-15,360 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is working on an ongoing basis on the initial planning work required for the development of an Irish-medium policy as part of the overall framework of the 20-year Strategy for the Irish language 2010-2030. The development of the policy will be informed by a consultation process and I look forward to working with relevant stakeholders in progressing this important work and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Apr 2021)

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 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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 €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: All schools are, in accordance with section 18 of the Education Act 1998, required to keep all proper and usual accounts and records of all monies received by it or expenditure of such monies incurred by it and must ensure that in each year all such accounts are properly audited or certified in accordance with best accounting practice. The Act further requires that such accounts shall be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home School Community Liaison Scheme (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is a key support of the DEIS Programme. The posts are funded by my Department. The HSCL Scheme is available to a total of 532 schools catering for over 160,000 pupils.  In the 2020/21 school year, the scheme is delivered by 415 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools at a total estimated cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 74 together. The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 provides inter alia that the Minister will establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) classes for the family of deaf children and education and support for children whose primary language is ISL attending recognised schools; and training for teachers of children who are deaf or hard of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The operation of sanitary facilities is a matter for each school authority. As such, early discussion in the design process between the Design Team and the School Authority in relation to the arrangement and layout of sanitary facilities is required. The Department of Education School Design Guide,SDG-02-06-Sanitary Facilities in Schools, allows schools to designate schools to designate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students.  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 (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle. My Department has set out the content for each of these programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students.  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 (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle. My Department has set out the content for each of these programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, in relation to the Junior National School referred to, my Department has recently approved this project to go to Construction Stage for a one-classroom SEN base, two mainstream classroom with ensuite toilets, and WC for assisted users under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. The project is expected to commence on-site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: On 3 October 2020 I announced that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the 2020 Calculated Grades process should take place. I asked that the review should consider key aspects of the Calculated Grades process, including the initial decision to adopt the model, whether the process met its objectives, how effective the process was, how the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (28 Apr 2021)

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 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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 €224.7m in 2020.  Based on the public health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.  It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for recognition of qualifications obtained by a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: On foot of the publication of the Review of Career Guidance, a Taskforce comprised of senior officials within the then Department of Education and Skills was established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the review. The Taskforce has met six times and progressed valuable work which began with a detailed consideration of what is understood by Guidance in Ireland and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that at present, qualified post-primary teachers who also hold a recognised qualification in Guidance Counselling are entitled to apply for permanent positions as Guidance Counsellors in schools. In exceptional circumstances, where a school can demonstrate that it has tried on many occasions and was unsuccessful in recruiting a fully qualified guidance counsellor-cum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools will be provided with class teachers on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The main grant funding mechanisms for undertaking works of the nature referred to by the Deputy are the Annual Minor Works Grant or the Summer Works Scheme.   The Minor Works Grant last issued to primary schools in December 2020 and provides flexibility for schools to manage and prioritise necessary small-scale works. The Summer Works Scheme provides a mechanism for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (28 Apr 2021)

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 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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 €224.7m in 2020.  The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC).  This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Education. The Council is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. The Commission in this regard operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the Certificate 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: Autism Support Services (28 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, from the school in question. Officials from my Department have been in communication with the school authority who have requested a review of the proposed brief.  This review is currently under assessment, on completion...