Results 2,341-2,360 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: It is the policy of the Department of Education and Skills not to endorse or promote any particular products, programmes, ventures, publications, professional consultants or companies. I am sure that you will appreciate the reasons for this decision. It is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The new building for the school referred to by the Deputy is progressing satisfactorily and subject to no issues arising is due to be ready for occupation early in Quarter 2 of 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the deputy will be aware, the project to which she refers has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (ETB). I am pleased to confirm that construction of this school extension is nearing completion, which is anticipated in the first quarter of 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the specific matters that have impacted the handover of the building, the Department is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. The Department is engaging with the contractor in this regard under the appropriate terms of the public works contract. Some communication was received from the contractor on 30...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the specific matters that have impacted the handover of the building, my Department is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. My Department is engaging with the contractor in this regard under the appropriate terms of the public works contract. Some communication was received from the contractor on 30...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design & Build programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. There is also a full-time Clerk of Works present on site and represents the interests of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 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 (GIS). The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Department's own school enrolment databases, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the funding of Life Safety Systems, under which category this falls, was announced under my Department's Summer Works Scheme last year. If a particular school did not apply for funding of Life Safety Systems under that round of the Summer Works Scheme, an application should now be made under the Emergency Works Scheme, which is the proper mechanism for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the deputy that the correct mechanism for uprgrading heating systems falls within the scope of my Department's Summer Works Scheme; schools are free to apply for funding under this scheme when it next opens for applications. If the heating system in a particular school completely fails, the school may apply for funding through the Emergency Works Scheme; details of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Occupational Injuries Benefit (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The provision of an occupational injury scheme for teachers is the subject of a claim, being brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). Discussions are taking place under the auspices of the TCC, to which the Department, management representatives and unions are all party. As the proceedings of the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 480 and 483 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The schools to which the Deputy refers are Education and Training Board (ETB) schools. The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB and the distribution of this staffing allocation including Small School posts is a matter for the Chief Executive of the ETB schemes in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Nov 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 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. My Department will spend in the region of €125 million in 2020 on the DEIS Programme. Under Budget 2021 I have announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. Each 1 point adjustment to the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The reopening of schools has been a very important milestone for Irish children and society. The safety and wellbeing of staff, students and the whole school community has been of paramount importance in the Government’s planning for school reopening. Planning for school reopening was undertaken in close consultation and discussion with key education partners. Since schools reopened,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the deputy on roles filled by my department in the past five years is below. There has been a significant amount of staffing change in the last number of years and the majority of the roles filled below are backfill of vacancies which arose where staff left on retirements, promotions or transfers. With regard to the cost to the Exchequer, my department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Indemnity Agreement of June 2002 involved 18 congregations, acting collectively, which agreed to provide a contribution of €128m towards the costs associated with redress for survivors of institutional abuse. Those 18 congregations are - Brothers of Charity - Christian Brothers - Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul - Daughters of the Heart of Mary - De La Salle Brothers -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees 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 0049/2020. The Circular outlines that special leave with pay may be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 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 a school authority and a third party should remain in place.