Results 361-380 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar...

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

Norma Foley: The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is the mechanism used to fill teaching posts and is key to the ability of the Department to manage within its payroll budget. The redeployment panels are currently transacting and schools are filling teaching vacancies for the 2020/21 school year. While the redeployment of surplus teachers to permanent teaching posts is the...

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: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The role of the SNA continues to be one to support the care needs of students and to assist classroom teachers, and special education teachers, to ensure that the student is able to access education, as set out in Section 5 of DES Circular 30/2014. There are no plans to change this role. SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution. Section 8(1) of the Student Support Act 2011, which defines an “approved course” for student grant purposes, requires attendance of an approved course at an approved institution on a full-time basis. Any extension of the scope of...

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 under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. Department officials are aware of the urgency of this project and have made regular contact with the Principal on the matter. The school has procured a consultant who is leading the project through the construction stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 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, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 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: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Educationincluding 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 programme...

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

Norma Foley: The issue referred to by the Deputy is under consideration by officials in my Department.

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

Norma Foley: The requisite funding of these courses is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department has no role in this regard. The Department understands that the Deputy has submitted a similar question on the funding of these courses to the Department of Health and that Department has, in turn, asked the HSE to respond directly to him.

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

Norma Foley: 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 the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including...

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

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 over...

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

Norma Foley: The Deputy may be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved to Dublin & Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) for delivery. My Department is fully aware of the need to urgently progress this project. However, it is of the utmost importance that the final outcome will be the correct one for both the school authority and the pupils. In that...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved to Dublin & Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) for delivery. DDLETB have submitted revised proposals in respect of the approved building project at the school in question. These proposals are currently being considered by my Department and my officials will be in contact with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My officials contacted the awarding authority regarding the student grant assessment for the student in question. The awarding authority has advised that the student in question submitted an application for a student grant on 29 April 2020. It was advised within the application that the student's father had inherited a house in 2019 thus resulting in the student's application being refused...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the terms and conditions of funding, including those relating to residency, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority,...

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: Education Standards (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Following the school closure in March 2020, my Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students as well as supporting their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance aimed, inter alia, to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of...

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

Norma Foley: I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and...