Results 3,321-3,340 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (28 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students, teachers and families as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to the education system, and I am acutely aware of the impacts that this has had on those students preparing to sit their final examinations. The planning work underway in respect of the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (28 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students, teachers and families as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to the education system, and I am acutely aware of the impacts that this has had on those students preparing to sit their final examinations. The planning work underway in respect of the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: The property concerned is owned by Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). My Department understands that KWETB has received an application for access from the adjacent primary school. This application will be considered by the board of KWETB as owners of the property. In the interim KWETB is engaging with the primary school. Queries in relation to any arrangements regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (28 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware - agreement in principle has been reached with a landowner for the acquisition of a site at Donaghcumper, Celbridge - to which you refer. This site is presently proposed to facilitate the permanent accommodation needs of St. Patrick's National School, Celbridge Community School and St. Raphael's Special School on a campus type arrangement. Work is progressing and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Planning (28 Jan 2021)

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. Coolock and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (28 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students, teachers and families as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to the education system, and I am acutely aware of the impacts that this has had on those students preparing to sit their final examinations. The planning work underway in respect of the Leaving Certificate Examinations in 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I have made enquiries with regard to the case of the person to whom the Deputy refers and wish to provide the following clarification:  At the time of this person’s application for transfer of pension entitlements there were a significant number of such requests on hand and they were being handled in date and priority order.  This person’s case had not yet been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students, teachers and families as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to the education system, and I am acutely aware of the impacts that this has had on those students preparing to sit their final examinations. It is recognised that a flexible and agile approach is necessary in light of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 362 together. My Department has provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to facilitate the continuity of learning for all pupils or students in a Covid-19 context. These are available atwww.gov.ie/backtoschool. This involves all teachers including Special Education Teachers, providing remote...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools,  my Department provided €100m in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. Schools were advised that they can use this funding to support the continuity of teaching and learning should a period of partial or full school closure occur...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 113,100 children, including over 14,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 365 together. The school building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.  The application for planning permission for the permanent school was lodged in December 2018 and the notification of the Decision to Grant Permission (subject to 18 no. conditions) was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: As at 22 January 2021, I can confirm to the Deputy that there are 5 pre-fab units in situ at Primary schools and 3 at Post Primary Schools in County Roscommon. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to enable schools to facilitate the continuity of learning for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context. These are available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool. This involves all teachers including Special Education Teachers, providing remote teaching and learning to all pupils in their class or on their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students, teachers and families as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has brought significant challenges to the education system, and I am acutely aware of the impacts that this has had on those students preparing to sit their final examinations. It is recognised that a flexible and agile approach is necessary in light of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The site acquisition process in respect of the school in question is currently underway. A potential site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this stage. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the safe operation of schools.  The CMO has stated in his advices to Government which are published on gov.ie, that schools are safe environments, with very little evidence of transmission within schools, and that the majority of infections of children and adolescents occurs outside the school setting. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: As previously noted in response to Question No. 209 of 21 January 2021, on 3 October 2020 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (3 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.  In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.