Results 2,701-2,720 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to “continue with, and expand, the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education and develop a National Traveller Education Strategy, including a plan to improve access to Higher Education for members of the Traveller Community”. I recently met with my colleague Minister Harris and we have a joint objective to improve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning areas in County Wexford. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the reopening of schools has been one of the top priorities for Government. This was motivated by a desire to deliver the best education for students. Schools and their staff have been working tirelessly to deliver this education under challenging circumstances. My Department’s Inspectorate has been supporting and advising on the work of schools since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: There are currently 3 projects under the Additional Accommodation Scheme on site in Monaghan with an overall projected expenditure €1.5 million. These projects are due for completion in 2020/2021. There are also a further 17 approved projects which have been devolved for delivery to the school authority/ETB in question. It is a matter for those school authorities to advance those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department undertakes forward planning activity on an on-going basis to identify future school requirements. My Department engages with the local authority statutory planning process, conducts its own demographic analysis, engages with local patrons and uses the combined information to project school place requirements . In regard to the statutory planning process, the Core Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: On 3 October I announced that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process should take place. I want this review to consider key aspects of the Calculated Grades process, including the initial decision to adopt the model, whether the process met its objectives, how effective the process was, how the process worked...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including the school planning area referred to by the Deputy. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications –...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project for St Teresa's Special School is included in my Department's capital programme. Officials in my Department continue to liaise with all relevant stakeholders in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent site for the school in question. As the Deputy may be aware, a potential preferred site option has been identified and negotiations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning areas in North Dublin. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. Schools also have the discretion to apply different selection criteria for admission to a special class should they wish to do so. The criteria to be applied by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Keeping schools safely open for children and staff is a key priority at all levels of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19. In line with the Plan and current public health advice, matches or other sporting events, subject to limited exceptions, are not permitted under the Level 3 restrictions.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and measures announced in Budget 2021 will implement this. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils which is at its historically lowest level. Budget 2021 will implement a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gaelscoil Issues (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As part of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the April 2018 announcement on the establishment of 42 new schools from 2019 to 2022, which will afford particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Data (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Inspectorate is carrying out research on how well schools are operating in the current school year. This is providing up-to-date information on matters such as how well students have settled back into school, how they are progressing in their learning, and the wellbeing of students. The research work involves capturing a range of perspectives and includes surveys of stakeholders in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that, within the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. In this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of rented temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools. Furthermore, it may also be necessary to make use...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Dec 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: Education Policy (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware generally all new school provision (primary and post-primary) will be mixed gender in nature and patronage decisions will be made on that basis. There may be a small number of instances where single-gender provision will need to be made if there is an identified imbalance between the capacities of single-gender schools. Any such identification would be made in advance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 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 employees in primary and post primary schools are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letters which are available on my Department’s website. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of applications for capital funding from the schools referred to by the Deputy. Officials have been in contact with the school authorities in order to progress the applications. On completion of the assessment process the school authorities will be contacted directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is proposing to undertake a major project for the school referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy on the school's existing site. The school authorities put forward a proposal to construct a new school on an alternative site owned by the patron. My Department considered the proposal and advised the school authorities that there would be significant challenges associated...