Results 261-280 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education and Skills, SOLAS and the education and training providers are actively working to put in place alternative learning and assessment solutions for all apprentices, while maintaining the quality and integrity of the apprenticeship programme.  Alternative assessments for theory components of those craft apprenticeship programmes which were due to be...

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: Third Level Institutions (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: In April 2019 a framework for consent in Higher Education Institutions "Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive - Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions" was launched by the Department. The framework aims to ensure the creation of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive. Following the launch of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: A process is in place for students who are attending school were also studying a Leaving Certificate subject or subjects outside of school. The Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO) is receiving reports from schools on the students taking subjects outside of school for whom schools were unable to provide an estimated percentage mark in a particular subject. Following an...

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

Norma Foley: I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools.  I have spoken to a number of secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised.  In Budget 2020 I increased the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools, allowing schools with enrolments of...

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

Norma Foley: In advance of the COVID-19 restriction measures, officials at the HR Unit of my Department engaged with the management of the line sections in the various locations within my Department in order to put measures in place which involved a combination of some onsite essential working and wider remote working arrangements.  The HR Unit in conjunction with the Corporate Services Unit of my...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that the project to which she refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. Thereafter, it will ensure...

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

Norma Foley: 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 supports are available for children with special educational needs. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I recognise that this is a particularly challenging time for all students, and parents across the education system. On 12 June, my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” The report sets out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to reopen schools at the start of the...

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 Educationincluding 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: The provision of permanent accommodation for the new post primary school to serve Greystones and Kilcoole requires the acquisition of a site by my Department.  A potential site option has been identified and negotiations are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site. My Department is committed to delivering a site for the new post primary school for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.  For the 20/21 academic year student grant applications will be assessed based on gross income from all sources for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. However, if a student or party to their application...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm that in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, a contract is due to be awarded this week (commencing 29thJune, 2020) for the additional interim accommodation required for the school for the next academic year.  However, a decision in relation to planning permission for this additional accommodation is still awaited.  It should be noted that these...

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

Norma Foley: The new school building for the project to which the Deputies refer is over 95% complete. There continues to be a very close engagement between Westmeath County Council (to whom the project has been devolved for delivery) and its design team, the Department of Education and Skills and the contractor in relation to getting the remaining elements of work completed during the summer to enable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (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: 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 additional primary aged children with complex needs. The programme aims to ensure, in...

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: Student Grant Scheme (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).   For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: On 12 June, my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Announcements/framework-f or-reopening-and-operating-schools.html.  The report sets out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to fully reopen schools at the start of the next...

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

Norma Foley: I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools.  I have spoken to a number of secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised.  In Budget 2020 I increased the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools, allowing schools with enrolments of...