Results 15,921-15,940 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: As part of the Government Decision on 17 February last, the normal Junior Cycle Examination processes were cancelled. Given the priority that needed to be accorded to the Leaving Certificate examinations and the challenge associated with running them, it was not considered feasible to run a set of Junior Cycle Examinations also. This year, early school leavers and adult learners were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Counselling Services (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has invested heavily in schools to support them throughout this pandemic and has prioritised the return to school for children with special educational needs. Promoting wellbeing is a fundamental element of the Department’s overall plan to support school communities as we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Educational Psychological...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410, 413, 415, 456 and 487 together. The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council’s Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. A number of GLPs due to take place in 2020 were postponed due...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Mar 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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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 €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: An ex gratia redress scheme was established on foot of the specific circumstances arising from and in response to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) relating to Louise O'Keeffe. The scheme, was established in 2015 to provide an effective remedy for a specific category of people, namely those persons who had commenced domestic litigation but who had discontinued those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The school in question applied for funding under SWS 2020 for the refurbishment of Science Labs (Category 5). The school authorities may be aware that in December 2020 I announced details of the schools that will receive funding in summer 2021 in respect of applications submitted for Roof Projects and Toilet Facilities projects. Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cúrsaí Gaeilge (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Comhlíontar na ceanglais reatha le haghaidh Tréimhsí Foghlama sa Ghaeltacht faoi chláir Oideachais Tosaigh Múinteoirí bunscoile i bhfoirm dhá cheann de shocrúcháin dhá sheachtain, mar atá leagtha amach sa doiciméad Céim: Caighdeáin maidir le hOideachas Tosaigh Múinteoirí ón gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 417, 420, 421, 427, 430, 431, 436, 440, 473, 494, 503, 516 and 524 together. The Deputy will be aware that, on the 1st March 2021, I announced a package of measures to tackle educational disadvantage. This announcement includes a one point reduction in class size from 22:1 to 21:1 in Urban Band 1 vertical schools and 20:1 to 19:1 in Urban Band 1 junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of the significant local and regional variations in demographic trends and enrolment projections, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPAs). Using school planning area boundaries within my Department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) allows data...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Mar 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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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 €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is conscious that closing schools has had adverse consequences for individuals and families. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. Public health remain of the view that schools are low risk environments and that the infection prevention and control measures in place in schools are effective, but recognise the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The Appropriation Account for my Department contains details of the contracts deemed to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines. Details from the 2018 and 2109 Appropriation Account are attached for the Deputy’s information. A complete record is not yet available in respect of 2020 or 2021 as the appropriation account is compiled after the end of the accounting period. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has had no engagement with the group referred to by the Deputy. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. The CMO has made it very clear in his advices to Government which are published on gov.ie, that schools are safe environments, with very little evidence of transmission within schools, and that the majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 439, 486 and 525 together. My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the infection prevention and control measure appropriate for schools. While current public health advice makes it a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, non-teaching staff in primary and post primary schools and students attending post...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that grant aid has been approved under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the three schools in question as follows: The first school listed was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2020 to build one mainstream classroom and a WC for assisted users as prefab replacement. A consultant has been appointed to this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child and Family Agency (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together. The latest published data in relation to the Analysis of School Attendance Data is for the academic year 2017/2018 and can be found at the following link . The analysis to the school attendance data for the academic year 2018/2019 will be published in early summer 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Since the Covid-19 pandemic commenced, my Department has drawn on a number of sources of research to inform the approaches that we have used to mitigate the effect of the Covid pandemic on schools and to support leaners, teachers and students through this emergency. The Inspectorate of my Department has monitored educational provision by schools in remote and on-site schooling contexts....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has published guidelines in relation to the Transition Year, TY, programme and specific guidance for Transition Year in the context of Covid-19. This guidance was published as part of the return to school suite of guidance materials published in July 2020 to enable schools to mediate the curriculum safely for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context. The guidance is available...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that a request for additonal funding was received from the school after the works were completed, this is considered retrospective funding which is not allowed under the terms of the Emergency Works scheme. My Department has been in contact with the school in question and a resolution has been reached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic my Department has issued extensive guidance material to assist schools with the continuity of learning. This guidance to schools was developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including teachers, parents and learners. The guidance included provision to support the continuity of teaching and learning in response to the Covid-19...