Results 3,721-3,740 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The Appropriation Account for my Department contains details of the contracts deemed to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines. Details from the 2018 and 2109 Appropriation Account are attached for the Deputy’s information. A complete record is not yet available in respect of 2020 or 2021 as the appropriation account is compiled after the end of the accounting period. My...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has had no engagement with the group referred to by the Deputy. The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. The CMO has made it very clear 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...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 439, 486 and 525 together. My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the infection prevention and control measure appropriate for schools. While current public health advice makes it a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers, non-teaching staff in primary and post primary schools and students attending post...

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that grant aid has been approved under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the three schools in question as follows: The first school listed was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2020 to build one mainstream classroom and a WC for assisted users as prefab replacement. A consultant has been appointed to this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child and Family Agency (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together. The latest published data in relation to the Analysis of School Attendance Data is for the academic year 2017/2018 and can be found at the following link . The analysis to the school attendance data for the academic year 2018/2019 will be published in early summer 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Since the Covid-19 pandemic commenced, my Department has drawn on a number of sources of research to inform the approaches that we have used to mitigate the effect of the Covid pandemic on schools and to support leaners, teachers and students through this emergency. The Inspectorate of my Department has monitored educational provision by schools in remote and on-site schooling contexts....

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

Norma Foley: My Department has published guidelines in relation to the Transition Year, TY, programme and specific guidance for Transition Year in the context of Covid-19. This guidance was published as part of the return to school suite of guidance materials published in July 2020 to enable schools to mediate the curriculum safely for all pupils/students in a Covid-19 context. The guidance is available...

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

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that a request for additonal funding was received from the school after the works were completed, this is considered retrospective funding which is not allowed under the terms of the Emergency Works scheme. My Department has been in contact with the school in question and a resolution has been reached.

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

Norma Foley: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic my Department has issued extensive guidance material to assist schools with the continuity of learning. This guidance to schools was developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including teachers, parents and learners. The guidance included provision to support the continuity of teaching and learning in response to the Covid-19...

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

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. The public health restrictions which resulted in the closure of schools in March 2020 highlighted the absolute necessity for schools to be agile in providing for continuity of schooling in the future. As a contingency measure against the possibility of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council’s "Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education". A number of GLPs due to take place in 2020 were postponed due to public health restrictions. Also, due to the uncertainties of...

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

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of Covid-19 includes the safety and welfare of teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) and the minimisation of the impact of Covid-19 on teaching and learning. The current Covid-19 arrangements in place for teachers and SNAs are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020. My Department has an enhanced Occupational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Practical steps for the deployment of good ventilation practices was provided to the school system in the context of re-opening for September 2020. This guidance was reviewed and updated on 30 November. This guidance is one of a number of prevention and control measures in place to ensure schools are very safe. An expert group on ventilation has recently been formed to advise the national...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Mar 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 Department has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools. In April 2018, then Minister for Education and Skills Mr. Richard Bruton asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 Mar 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have drafted new admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. These policies will been approved by the school patron by 15 September 2020, and published on the schools website by 30...

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

Norma Foley: The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. The CMO has made it very clear 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: Vaccination Programme (3 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The vaccine protocol devised by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee is endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team and signed up to by Government. The Department of Health have confirmed that those essential to Education are estimated at this time to be in the first one third of the population captured by the Vaccine Allocation Strategy. My Department has further engaged...