Results 301-320 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received the proposals to which he refers. However, I also wish to inform him that my Department does not provide funding for athletics facilities. I would advise him to refer the matter to the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht in that context.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to enable the school in question to build a two classroom SEN base. Following receipt of the final drawdown paperwork it was noted that the school submitted additional costings which were not approved by the Department. The Department has since liaised with the school and agreed to pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012 provides for the issuing of annual benefit statements to members. My officials have been liaising with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to clarify various pension issues peculiar to the work patterns in the education sector which impact on the provision of annual benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design which includes the application for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. A revised Stage 2(b) submission has been received in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the school authority under my Department's Summer Works Scheme. As such, it is a matter for the school authority to progress the project. I can inform the Deputy that we are aware from our engagement with the school with respect to this project that it will not be completed in time for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. I am informed the Teaching Council advise that, for teachers qualified outside of Ireland, the assessment and registration process may typically take up to 12 weeks...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 399 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy may wish to note that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the school authority under my Department's Summer Works Scheme. As such, it is a matter for the school authority, advised by its design team, to progress the project . I am conscious of the tragic and extremely difficult issues referred to by the Deputy and that these have been exacerbated by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (7 Jul 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 €36,953 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Covid-19 has presented an unprecedented global challenge for all of society, including our children. Learning has been challenging for many students since school buildings closed. In response my Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs. Summer Provision 2020 is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 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: Emergency Works Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question has been granted Emergency Works Funding for the additional works to which he refers. These will be incorporated into its existing Additional Accommodation project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 444 together. To assist with the development of plans for the re-opening and operation of higher education in an environment that may require social distancing and other public health requirements, the Department of Education and Skills is engaging with relevant stakeholders from the higher education sector. The importance of informing students of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge that this is a particularly challenging time for all students, and parents across the education system, but particularly for those students who will be transferring from primary to post-primary school. My Department’s Continuity of Schooling Group has developed guidance for schools which includes advice on how best 6th class pupils can be supported to make the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is in the final stages of refinement of the DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index. This work is at an advanced stage and the initial phase of the consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspects of the refined DEIS ID model has commenced....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Educationincluding a home-based programme for children with complex special educational needs. Parents/Guardians select and engage tutors/SNAs for the provision of the home based programme in a private arrangement which is then funded through the scheme. It is the responsibility of the parent and tutor/SNA to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are their direct employers. Teachers employed in the Education and Training Board sector are paid and employed by them. There are a number of employment types within these schools such as permanent whole-time, fixed term contracts, contracts of indefinite duration (CID) and also casual substitutes. Teachers who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department acts as paymaster to over 3,700 schools whose Boards of Management are the direct employers of the teachers in those schools. Teachers in the Education and Training Board sector are employed and paid by the ETBs. There are a number of employment types within these schools such as permanent whole-time, fixed term contracts, contracts of indefinite duration (CID) and also casual...