Results 181-200 of 16,766 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: As you know my Department operates one of the largest payrolls in the State, paying approximately 120,000 school employees per fortnight. The school employee payrolls are highly automated and have been subject to an unprecedented level of change over the past decade, to implement changes in public service terms and conditions, pay policy and PAYE Modernisation. My Department prioritises...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the school referenced by the Deputy was established in 2014 under the patronage divesting process.  The patronage divesting process intended that, in the relevant areas, schools could be opened where a school building became, or was due to become available as a result of an amalgamation/closure of an existing school. A vacant former school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. All special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: 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 enrolment 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 location. The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 school year over 120,000 children, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards at all stages of the teaching career. It has established standards for post-qualification professional practice, as set out in Droichead, the integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified primary and post-primary teachers. Due to Covid-19 and the unprecedented situation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Meals Programme (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The Government’s decision on school meals was announced on Thursday March 26th and detailed guidelines issued to schools to help them operate the School Meals Programme amid the extended Covid-19 restrictions. The guidelines were also published on the Department’s website. In general, schools participating in the School Meals Programme are funded to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. All special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The allocation and coordination of SNA support for schools are the responsibility of the NCSE and my Department has no role in making individual determinations. Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21.  The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, a major capital project to construct a new school building and PE Hall for the school in question is included in my Department's building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. In this regard, the procurement of the Design Team and Project Manager to deliver the project has commenced. I wish to advise the Deputy that my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. All special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question received capital grant approval for an extension to their school building and this project is due to commence construction shortly. The Deputy will be aware that under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme.  This funding allows...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. 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 school year over 120,000 children, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is conscious of the issues in the English language education sector arising from the Covid-19 outbreak and has established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers. As part of this process, the representative bodies for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers.  My Department has been engaging with the representatives bodies of English language education providers across a range of issues over the course of the Covid-19 outbreak to date. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council have informed me that owing to the extenuating circumstances brought about by COVID-19 the Council has modified their existing processes and IT system to support the timely online processing of NQT registrations and help mitigate against delays. The Council has engaged with the HEIs and their final year student teachers regarding the initial stages of the modified process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Departments Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides funding towards a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early intervention for children with autism. By its nature, the grant is intended to be a short term intervention and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school...