Results 4,021-4,040 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The acquisition of a site to accommodate a permanent school building for the school to which the Deputy refers is at a very advanced stage.  Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this time.  I can, however, assure you that the acquisition of a new site for the school is a priority for the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The major building project for Scoil an Chroi Naofa Ballinasloe is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - Stage 2(b) which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. Planning permission was secured for this project in 2011.  In October 2016 an extension to planning was secured which expires in November, 2021. While...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (31 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: State Examinations (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, 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, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 564 together. The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice. The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families, has been developed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission 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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (31 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. Based on the public health advice...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: As part of the Government Decision on 17 February last, the normal Junior Cycle Examination processes were cancelled. Given the priority that needed to be accorded to the Leaving Certificate examinations and the challenge associated with running them, it was not considered feasible to run a set of Junior Cycle Examinations also. Last year, early school leavers and adult learners were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is scheduled for completion in Quarter 2 of 2021. The cost of the project is approximately €7m, which includes the scope of works, Professional Fees, Furniture/Equipment and ICT grants.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has developed a plan with the relevant education stakeholders for the phased return to in-school learning for children in primary, post-primary and special schools. During March all primary level, fifth year post primary students and final year Leaving Certificate students returned to school. This phase also saw a return to full attendance for children in special schools. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: During school closures, schools are not required to record attendance in the usual manner. However, in line with the guidance provided by my Department, it is important that schools regularly engage with pupils/students who may not be engaging or have disengaged with remote learning at this time. Any records kept in relation to engagement during school closure periods are retained at school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme is to give students who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged. The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on my Department’s website at . I am pleased to say that the application referred to by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: It is important to note that ‘students who are experiencing short-term anxiety related to COVID19’ are not students ‘with a medical condition such as anxiety’. Students who have a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder from CAMH or Clinical Psychology HSE services would have a long term mental health issue which would warrant a medical diagnosis. Experiencing short term...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: The Minister is not aware of any threatened or extant litigation arising from the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts in each of the years from 2017 to 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that a review of the pension file of the named individual has commenced and that direct contact has been made with the individual concerned. When the review is complete, officials from the Pension Unit of my Department will contact the individual with regard to the outcome. If any further communication is required in the interim, the Pension Unit staff of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: My officials are currently reviewing the case referred to by the Deputy in consultation with colleagues in Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Terms and conditions of employment, including membership of a public sector pension scheme are a matter, in the first instance, for the employer ; the person concerned is an employee of an Institute of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Holidays (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 587 together. The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (31 Mar 2021)

Norma Foley: On 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations will proceed and students will also have the option of applying for grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), to be known as SEC-Accredited Grades. Leaving Certificate students have the option of whether to sit the examinations, receive SEC Accredited Grades, or both, on a subject by subject basis....