Results 17,081-17,100 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. In the absence of these examinations, every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible. The process of national standardisation, which forms a key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The 2020 Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades appeals process has concluded and the appeal outcomes were made available to students at 12pm on Friday 16 October through the Calculated Grades Student Portal. In the processing of the appeals, a total of 33,301 individual subject records belonging to 12,216 students were reviewed. This number excludes students who initially entered for an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The terms and conditions of the Sick Leave Scheme for teachers is contained in my Department’s Circular Letter 0054/2019. In line with the Sick Leave Scheme, absences are recorded by the individual employer on my Department’s On Line Claims System (OLCS) which is part of the payroll system. The attached table details the total number of Sick Leave days currently recorded on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020. The Circular outlines that special leave with pay may be granted to a teacher who has been (a) diagnosed with COVID-19 or (b) has COVID-19 symptoms and has been advised by the HSE/GP to self-isolate whilst awaiting their test appointment and test results. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: In accordance with the requirements of the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2019 - 2023 the school principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school and is accountable for that management to the school’s Board of Management. One of the important management functions of the principal is the maintenance of records in relation to pupil attendance in accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and which led the decision not to run the state examinations this summer. In the context of the return to schools of students for the 2020/21 academic year my Department published a range of documentation and support material as part of the Roadmap for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: It is the responsibility of my Department to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in an area. Parents/guardians can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to draft, publish and implement a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: 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, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. Major new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Nov 2020)

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. My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. All school capital projects that have been approved, by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: 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, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. Major new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Access to RSE is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this vital aspect of education to young people. Importantly, a school’s RSE programme should be planned in consultation with parents. The NCCA conducted a thorough and transparent review, and published its report, “Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Maternity Leave (24 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 534 together. My Department has an enhanced Occupational Health Service (OHS) in place to provide employers with occupational health advice in relation to employees’ fitness for work. Medmark, the current OHS provider has a process in place for school staff with health concerns about their risk of serious illness from contracting COVID-19,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213, 215 and 230 together. My Department made a decision in 2017, based on advice received from the Teaching Council, to set higher Minimum Entry Requirement Standards (MERS) to primary teaching for Leaving Certificate Mathematics, English and Irish  with effect from September 2019 as follows: Entry 2018 - Irish: H5, English: H7/O5, Maths: H7/O6 Entry...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Schools by their nature are generally much larger at post-primary level than at primary level.  There are also a wide variety of specialist rooms and various plant and equipment at post-primary level that would not be a feature at primary level. This all adds to a greater level of complexity to the management and operation of post-primary schools to have them ready for re-opening for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that officials in my Department have been in contact with the teacher involved and are resolving the pay issue.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the school referred to opened in September 2020. The patron has made arrangements to accommodate the school in existing interim accommodation that is available to the Patron. My Department understands that the patron proposes to relocate the school to an alternative school building when it becomes available.  There are no plans at this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Minor Works Scheme (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040 the Minor Works Grant (MWG) is paid to primary schools in either December or January of each school year. This year, due to the exceptional circumstances arising from COVID-19, €29m was paid under the Minor Works Grant to primary schools in the free scheme in July 2020. There was also an additional funding of €75m under the July Stimulus programme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (19 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, on 27 July last the Government published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, along with details of a significant financial package to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap, following approval by the Government. The package of supports were expected to cost in excess of €437 million in the 2020/2021 school year....