Results 2,881-2,900 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.  In the 2018/2019 school year over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 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: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: A Primary teacher who attends and completes a Summer Course approved by my Department is entitled to Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) Leave.  My Department’s Circular Letter 37/97 details the EPV Leave entitlement and Circular Letter 35/2009 details the employee’s requirement to provide a certificate of completion to the employer as evidence of EPV Leave entitlement. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The staffing schedule is an allocation mechanism that uses enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts allocated to a school. 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.   Under the current staffing schedule, a non-DEIS Urban Band 1 school ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools must have drafted new school admission policies for publication on or after the 1stOctober this year. These new admission policies have been approved by respective Patrons following consultation with school staff and parents of children attending the school, and are now published on individual school websites....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website.  The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB and the distribution of this staffing allocation is a matter for the Chief Executive of each ETB scheme. Galway Roscommon ETB receives an allocation of 16.5 posts in respect of small schools, island schools and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Under Article 44 of the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction classes if they so wish. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Uniforms (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: In the case referred to by the Deputy, the Department of Education has made initial contact with the school and are engaging further to establish the facts in this case in order to provide a report for my attention. It is important to note that decisions on school uniform polices are a matter for the school’s board of management at local level.  Schools are advised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 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 area in which this school is situated. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Data (8 Dec 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, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.  Trim...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Part V of the Disability Act 2005 requires that public bodies promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and ensure that 3% of staff employed by them are people with disabilities.  The requirement applies to the Department of Education and certain of its aegis bodies. In 2018, the reported percentage of employees with a disability under the definition of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has introduced and is implementing effective control measures on an ongoing basis to ensure that physical distancing can be observed at all times by staff in accordance with the Work Safely Protocol. The facility to work remotely has been introduced and communications and meetings are now conducted through online platforms. Control measures have also been implemented, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I am happy to confirm that the person to whom the Deputy refers is entitled to pension benefits from the Department of Education from the date of their 60thbirthday.  These benefits are payable upon application.  Officials from the Pension Unit of my department have made contact with the person concerned and have issued to them, by post, a statement of benefits...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 to 112, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of schools with kitchens and/or canteens, or those without such facilities. My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that an application for temporary accommodation was received from the school today 9th December. The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school when the assessment process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that a tender process is ongoing for the establishment of a new framework of contractors for delivery of a bundle of design and build projects which is expected to be completed in Quarter 1 of 2021. This school building project will be included in a subsequent bundle of projects, to be tendered to the new framework when...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.   I am pleased to advise the Deputy that planning permission has been secured for the project. My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The issue of road safety measures in the road network outside the area of vested school sites such as road signage, traffic calming measures, car parking and pedestrian facilities are the responsibility of the relevant Local Authority.  Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently been made aware of the proposal by the school authority in question.  My Department is considering same and will be communicating with the school authority shortly.  In such cases local consultation, which includes the consideration of parents, is necessary and will form part of the final assessment process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Data (9 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Details of the bodies under the aegis and the composition of the respective State Boards that fall under the remit of my Department are available in the attached table. The details are also available on my Department's website at the following link; https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Details- of-Membership-of-State-Boards/  As the Deputy will be...