Results 381-400 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The national co-ordination group for tertiary education, which includes representatives from the Department, institutions, and providers, is meeting regularly to discuss key issues. A working group has been established to examine connectivity issues impacting on tertiary education. The group’s key aims are to identify connectivity challenges in relation to broadband, data, networks and...

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

Norma Foley: Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. The arrangements include the following provisions: - 2019/20 mainstream class SNA allocations will be frozen, from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, and will automatically roll over into the 2020/21 school year. This means that no school will...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 and 457 together. The new school building for the project to which the Deputies refer is over 95% complete. There continues to be a very close engagement between Westmeath County Council (to whom the project has been devolved for delivery) and its design team, the Department of Education and Skills and the contractor in relation to getting the...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department received an application, from the school in question, for capital funding and was given approval in principle to submit costs for interim accommodation. Upon assessment by my officials, it was found that the school will have sufficient permanent accommodation on site to cater for their enrolments and the approval in principle for interim...

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: School Curriculum (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: History at Junior Cycle aims to enable students to develop the necessary conceptual understanding, disciplinary skills and subject knowledge to investigate the actions of people in the past and to come to a deeper understanding of the human condition. Students also come to see the world, and their place in it, from an historical perspective; and understand how the people and events of the...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department are currently carrying out periodic checks in a number of schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, on the fire safety systems to ensure that the required ongoing maintenance of these systems is being kept up to date. The Department continues to liaise with the School Principal in order to keep the school updated if further works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: There were circa 200 projects on site in early 2020. In line with National Public Health announcements by Government, all construction sites in relation to the education sector ceased in March 2020. The construction sector has been re-opening on a gradual and phased basis since Monday 18 May. It will take time to remobilise and see the impact the of new working arrangements. It is too early...

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

Norma Foley: As Springboard courses are designed to be part time, and to enable participants, depending on their circumstances, to look for employment, or continue to work while engaging in the courses, it is not permitted to undertake a second Springboard+ course in same academic year of Springboard+. It is not anticipated that there will be a review of this policy.

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

Norma Foley: The HEA periodically undertakes a trend analysis of the Springboard+ programme. This analysis examines, among other thing, completion rates, graduation rates, and the impact of the courses on participants. The most recent trend analysis was performed in November 2016 and details are available at . The Statistics team at the HEA are currently working with the CSO on developing a report on the...

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

Norma Foley: The school in question was established in interim accommodation in 2014. The school patron identified alternative interim accommodation and requested approval from the Department to lease that property for the school. The Department approved this and, consistent with the usual approach with respect to this and similar circumstances, devolved securing the necessary statutory approvals and...

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

Norma Foley: Of the 3,963 schools (3,240 primary and 723 post-primary) in the State, 405 schools (280 primary and 125 post-primary) are currently using or partially using rented accommodation. The breakdown, by County, is contained in the following table. In relation to the breakdown by Patronage, this information is not held in the format requested. I wish to advise the Deputy that, within 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: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In keeping with the established practice, a comprehensive briefing document was prepared in advance of my appointment by officials in the Department of Education and Skills which was then finalised following the Taoiseach's announcement that the previous Department of Education and Skills would have its responsibilities, together with certain responsibilities previously assigned to other...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is currently reviewing the building project to which the Deputy refers in the context of construction sites restarting and projects at tender stage progressing. Department officials will be in contact with the school shortly with regard to the next stage for this project.

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

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware, in relation to the school to which he refers, that my Department has approved the provision of funding for a project under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. I am pleased to inform him that approval has now been given for the project to proceed to the construction stage. I understand that construction is underway in that context.

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

Norma Foley: As the deputy is aware, the school in question commenced operation in Sept 2017 in temporary accommodation. I can confirm that officials in my Department are committed to providing a permanent accommodation solution for the school in question at the earliest possible date. Engagement with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council is ongoing in this regard. The potential of a land swap was...

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

Norma Foley: The system of calculated grades is underpinned by key principles of objectivity, equity and fairness. The process has been designed to arrive at fair representations of student performance which does not favour any type of student or school. Circular 0037/2020, which was published on 21 May, set out the detailed guidance for schools on the operation of the calculated grades process. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (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: State Examinations Commission (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Since my appointment as Minister for Education I have engaged in an extensive series of briefing discussions with senior officials of my Department across a range of education issues. These discussions, and engagements with key education bodies and stakeholders, will continue over the period ahead.