Results 2,401-2,420 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Supervision and Substitution Scheme (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Roadmap for the Full Return to School provides for comprehensive supports across a range of areas to allow for the safe reopening of schools. Among the supports provided is the extension of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel. My Department has worked closely with our Partners on expanding teacher supply panels. The base schools were first identified in collaboration with the INTO...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (12 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: School Enrolments (12 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...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak this morning. As the Chairman outlined, I am accompanied by the Minister of State, Deputy Josepha Madigan, who has responsibility for special education and inclusion, and officials from my Department. I am conscious that I have only five minutes to deliver my opening statement. I will, therefore, give a very brief overview of the Further...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the capital projects, almost €800 million is available. We envisage the delivery of more than 200 schools building projects of various sizes before the end of 2021. Some 145 projects are to begin mid-year, around July. That involves a substantial investment in the programme. Regarding the allocation of the additional days to principals and teaching principals, the news has...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. With regard to the provisions that have been made available to schools this year, we are talking of a package in excess of €437 million, which supports four to six hours of daily additional cleaning within the schools and the purchase of PPE and hand sanitisers. All of that is covered in the allocation and, indeed, there is a balance of €226 million which...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. In terms of the allocation for school transport, and acknowledging the capacity requirement that now exists, there was an agreement following a memo that was brought to Cabinet. I want to acknowledge the generosity in recognising the need to meet that public health demand and, all along the way, where there have been changes, we have been very flexible in a desire to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I know school transport is a particularly significant issue in the Deputy's area and he has raised it on a number of occasions. I know that an additional €15 million is being provided just for the increasing number of children within the system anyway . As I said previously, almost €100 million has been made available in respect of the additional 50% capacity. The Deputy is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: At every step of the way we were conscious of the measures that had to be put in place and, indeed, will continue to have to be put in place in respect of Covid-19. At no stage have we been reluctant when it comes to finances. Specifically on the issue the Deputy raised, I will ask for clarification on that and will ask the officials to directly reply to her on it.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the issue of pay equality, I want to reaffirm the Government's commitment to the body of work that needs to be done to address these outstanding matters. There is a commitment on that and it will be part of the next round of pay talks. On DEIS, this is an area of particular interest to the Deputy, which I acknowledge. As he has correctly acknowledged, there has been a reduction from...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Absolutely. There is incontrovertible evidence that students have been disadvantaged, obviously from an academic point of view but even more so from a socialisation point of view. All of the Irish and international studies are telling us that students are best served within the education environment. I agree with the Deputy's remark. The Government has recognised this by putting financial...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: It should be noted that there has been a 2.5% increase in capitation. While not wanting to be repetitive, it must be acknowledged that substantial additional funding has gone into schools this year in terms of things that would normally gone on in schools such as cleaning and so forth but also additional items such as hand sanitiser and so on. Significant resources have been provided and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 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: State Examinations (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Leaving Certificate written examinations commenced on Monday 16th November and will conclude on Friday 11th December. These written examinations will be based on the normal question paper format, content and structure, and duration as in previous years. These postponed examinations are being provided to students who are unhappy with the outcome of the calculated grades process, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable operation 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 Education and Skills: Budget 2021 (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that no additional ring-fenced funding has been provided to my Department towards domestic violence services in Budget 2021. However, I can inform the Deputy that my Department is continuing to implement relevant actions from the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, launched in January 2016. The strategy is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (17 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457, 458, 468, 500, 507 and 545 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of the significant local and regional variations in demographic trends and enrolment projections, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPAs).  Using school planning area boundaries within my Department’s Geographic Information System...