Results 19,301-19,320 of 19,870 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 using the HP Deprivation Index. A detailed quality analysis of the data has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains officials from my Department and the Educational Research Centre. The work of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: There are no plans to close the schools referred to by the Deputy. In September 2018, the NCSE was requested to develop policy advice on the educational provision that should be in place for students educated in special schools and classes and to make recommendations on the provision required to enable them achieve better outcomes. It was agreed that the report would be completed and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputies Whitmore and Brady for raising this matter. It provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position regarding the accommodation needs of the North Wicklow Educate Together secondary school for this September. As the Deputies may be aware, the school was established in 2016 and has been accommodated since then, as the Deputies said, in a leased property on the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the case the Deputies are making and the frustration being experienced all around. All I can say is that my Department is doing all it can to expedite this matter as quickly as possible for the benefit of everybody, and in particular for the benefit of the students and staff of the school. I clarify once again that my Department is continuing to prioritise this matter and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. I understand, based on the information available to me, that students who were residing in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they vacated their accommodation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While I would wish to see the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to supporting all schools in enrolling children residing in accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), under the system known as direct provision, in a fair and transparent manner. All pupils enrolled qualify for capitation grants; pro-rata capitation is also provided for each pupil enrolled after 30th ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. In the 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. In the 2019/2020  school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. In the current 2019/2020 school  year over 120,000 children, including over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The list of special classes in County Dublin for the years referred to by the Deputy, including special classes for children with autism, is available on the NCSE website at https://ncse.ie/  Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students. For the calculated grades...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students. Calculated Grades are based on an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Following the school closure in March 2020, my Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students as well as supporting their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance aimed, inter alia, to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/ September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this. Receipt of the public health advice will underpin ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Schools are best placed to determine how best to support the learning needs of their students based on their own context and circumstances. Central to this is the role of the teacher, as mediator and facilitator, in ensuring the continuity of engagement regardless of the mechanism chosen for that purpose. During the school closures teachers were provided with guidance to ensure that they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On 12 June 2020 my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business”. The report set out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to fully reopen schools at the start of the next school year. Receipt of the public health advice on the 1stJuly will further underpin this important...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I recognise that enhanced cleaning will be required to support schools to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirement to provide funding to support enhanced cleaning needs and we will provide further details of the support available once the arrangements are finalised. My Department has also arranged for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Given the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is difficult to make predictions about patterns of enrolment in third-level institutions in the 2020/2021 academic year, such as deferrals or international enrolments. For international students, much depends on unfolding events such as all available national and international public health advice, particularly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.  All proposals made in relation to higher education expenditure, including student grants for the 2021/22 academic year, will be considered in the context of Budget 2021.  I would like to re-assure the Deputy that I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the importance of the Student Grant Scheme and related supports, such as the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. These supports have a fundamental role in assisting families who are putting their children through further and...