Results 17,461-17,480 of 19,741 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’ It is important to note that the response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design & Build Programme. The tender process for the building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is running as part of a wider process involving the tender of 8 major building projects. The first phase of the tender process to create a shortlist of contractors is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the building project for the school in question is included in my Department's capital programme. The acquisition of the permanent site for Malahide Portmarnock ETNS is at an advanced stage of conveyancing. Once all contractual matters have been finalised the site will be assessed for Architectural Planning. While a site acquisition process is underway, given the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was established in 2018 and is in interim accommodation on its permanent site at Feltrim Road, Drinan, Swords. This site will also accommodate the future construction of the permanent building for the school. In that regard, there are restrictions on the amount of temporary accommodation that can be placed on the permanent site. Therefore, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The restrictions surrounding church services is not a matter for my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (5 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, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. For school planning purposes the school referred to by the Deputy was established to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Health and Safety (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The provision of an occupational injury scheme for teachers and other staff in the education sector is the subject of two separate claims, being brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC) and the ETB Industrial Relations (ETB IR) Forum respectively. Discussions are taking place under the auspices of the TCC and the ETB IR forum, to which the Department, management representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (5 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 of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission 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: DEIS Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Under Budget 2021 I have announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. While there has been a reduction in mainstream class size in recent years, there has not been a corresponding reduction for those Urban Band 1 DEIS schools who are already allocated a preferential staffing schedule of 20:1 for schools catering for junior classes only and 24:1 for schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Tests (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’ It is important to note that the response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank both Deputies for their observations. I reiterate my Department's commitment to the delivery of these projects. That commitment has been ongoing in trying to resolve outstanding issues. Both Deputies will appreciate the strong determination on the part of the Department to ensure the duty of care that we hold is fulfilled. I imagine both Deputies would expect that would be the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it allows me the opportunity to update the House on the current position in respect of the provision of accommodation for Greystones Community College in the first instance and also for Greystones Community National School. It was the intention to open the community college in the newly constructed community national school building in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that Level 5 restrictions do not apply to the Education sector and on this basis any prior commitment or agreement between the two parties referred to should remain in place.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has no role in providing guidance of a clinical or medical nature. However the HPSC have recently published the following definition of a close contact in an educational setting which was communicated to all schools this week. In accordance with current HPSC close contacts guidelines a clinical Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) will be undertaken for all educational...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Teacher Training (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with my Department's Primary Circular 44/2019 which is available on the Department’s website under www.education.ie, schools...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Examinations (4 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’ When a positive Covid-19 cases arises that is connected to a school community, either a staff member or a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has no role in providing guidance of a clinical or medical nature. However the HPSC have recently published the following definition of a close contact in an educational setting which was communicated to all schools this week. In accordance with current HPSC close contacts guidelines a clinical Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) will be undertaken for all educational settings...