Results 2,961-2,980 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The planning application for the additional accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers was lodged by my Department with the relevant Local Authority on Friday 11 December 2020. The tender process for the units will be progressed in tandem to the planning application and these costs are not yet available. My Department does not generally disclose the value of particular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 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 Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. Planning permission was lodged on the 31st March 2020. A Notification to Grant planning was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Holidays (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays. It is also important to note that it is the view...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 to 188, inclusive, together. While the State did implement a number of measures following the revelations of systemic child abuse in institutions where the State was in 'loco parentis', I am aware that survivors have on going needs. I have met with and heard the views from a number of survivors who have been meeting together to set out how they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 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: Departmental Budgets (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Department has not yet finalised its communications planning for 2021, which will support the achievement of the goals set out in its Statement of Strategy, currently in preparation. Where public communications are required, social media advertising will be considered to support this aim, along with other channels, to ensure appropriate and cost effective communication.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic the Government has identified as an objective that all students should return to education as normal to the fullest extent possible, while minimising the risks from a public health perspective. Schools have put significant measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school and significant funding has been provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and which led the decision not to run the state examinations this summer. In the context of the return to schools of students for the 2020/21 academic year my Department published a range of documentation and support material as part of the Roadmap for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department provides capitation funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating and refuse costs. I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased to have been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas for the 2021/2022 school year, including the school planning area to which the Deputy refers. 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 (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is currently finalising a site identification & deliverability exercise in order to technically appraise suitable shortlisted sites within the relevant school planning areas, for the post primary school to which you refer. This exercise is nearing completion, in line with our comprehensive site selection criteria, technical consideration and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The major school building project to provide new secondary school accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy commenced on site in late October 2020 and the contract duration is approximately 20 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning which entails preliminary site surveys, location suitability and initial sketch scheme. A review in 2019 of the demand for post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: A major extension/ refurbishment project for the school referred to by the Deputy has recently been authorized by my Department to proceed to tender for the appointment of a Building Contractor. The closing date for the completed tender returns is mid-December. Subject to no significant issues arise during the tender process my Department expects that the project will progress to site in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 382 together. My Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings. It is a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, staff in schools and students attending post primary school. However, public health advice also provides that cloth face coverings should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that a building project to provide improved accommodation for the schools in question is included on the school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). My Department is anxious to advance building projects for both schools and at a recent meeting with school representatives, it was explained that the complexities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sibling First Admission Policy (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 374 together. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (17 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. Malahide is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the building project for the school in question is included in my Department's capital programme. The acquisition of the permanent site for Malahide Portmarnock ETNS is at a very advanced stage of conveyancing. Once all contractual matters have been finalised the site will be assessed for Architectural Planning. While a site acquisition process is underway, given the...