Results 16,881-16,900 of 21,076 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (21 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. The figures they have provided for the number of registrations for Newly Qualified Teachers (Primary) since 2014 are as follows: 2014 = c. 1,700 2015 = 915 2016 =...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: There are a number of programmes available to schools that address crimes related to sexual violence. At primary level, the Stay Safe Programmeis a mandatory part of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme. The Stay Safe programme is a personal safety skills programme for use with primary school children from Junior Infants through to 6th class. The programme seeks to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Compensation Schemes (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: As you are aware, the ex gratia 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 Department undertook to review of the scheme in response to a determination by the Independent Assessor, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that one of the criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vaccination Programme (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The new vaccination roll out schedule, which was recommended to government by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and endorsed by the NPHET, is that the remainder of the population after Group 9 will be completed on an age basis from those aged 64 years and younger, and that this decision will replace the previous groupings in the original plan. The evidence is clear that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme and planning permission has been secured. My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects, including the project referred to by the Deputy, can be tendered. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 985, 991 and 1019 together. 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. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: As the deputy is aware, all children educated in Ireland including those who are home-schooled, are expected to have the opportunity to study Irish to an appropriate standard. An exemption from the study of Irish may be granted by school management in the exceptional circumstances outlined in section 2.2 of circular 0052/2019 (Primary) and 0053/2019 (Post Primary). The Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to 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: School Accommodation (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: Officials from my Department continue to work closely with Galway City Council and Galway County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites in order to identify and procure a suitable site for the school in question. A number of potential site options have been identified and discussions with these landowners are ongoing. Once the site acquisition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of school staff and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0021/2021. My Department has an enhanced Occupational Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that I had a recent meeting with officials in the Planning and Building Unit regarding second level places in east County Cork.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 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: Departmental Reviews (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: A detailed analysis of school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016, using the HP Deprivation Index, has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group. This group contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. My Department has commenced a consultation process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: Deputy, Financial literacy and well-being for students is explored through a number of curricular subjects and areas across primary and post-primary sectors which I have outlined below. Primary Level: At primary level, a new mathematics curriculum is in development. The money strand of this specification aims to establish foundational knowledge and skills in financial literacy and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to 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: Schools Building Projects (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1003 to 1005, inclusive, together. The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. This project is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b) which includes the application for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: In September 2018, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was requested to develop Policy Advice on Education Provision in Special Classes and Special Schools to examine whether placement in specialist settings brings about improved educational outcomes and experiences, relative to their ability, for students with special educational needs. This Policy Advice is expected to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: As set out in the response to question 514, during the Covid-19 pandemic, substitute teachers with a contract (written or verbal) covering an approved absence receive payment for the duration of that contract. The period of service that the teachers is paid for is reckonable towards incremental progression on the pay scale. There is no provision for my Department to progress individuals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1008 and 1009 together. As the Deputy is aware, 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 data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for...