Results 401-420 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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: Tionscadail Tógála Scoileanna (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Féadaim a dheimhniú gur chuir an scoil dár thagair an Teachta Dála iarratas faoi bhráid mo Roinne maidir le cóiríocht bhreise. Tá eolas breise iarrtha ag mo Roinn ar an scoil chomh maithe le soiléiriú ar eolas a cuireadh ar fáil ina n-iarratas. Nuair a gheofar an t-eolas seo, is féidir an t-iarratas a mheas a thuilleadh agus cuirfear...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. Before I address the specific issue raised, I would like to provide to the Members an outline of the extent of the school transport service. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the 2019-20 school year, more than 120,000 children, including more than 14,200 children with special...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I appreciate that the Deputy has acknowledged the importance of what the summer scheme means. There was considerable difficulty in getting it on stream given that the announcement was made on 12 June. Schools were notified on 15 June and it began operation on 29 June. From that point of view, there was a difficulty in putting transport in place. I accept that the Deputy said that in her...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Scoil Chrónáin is an existing all-Irish co-educational primary school, under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin and centrally located in the village of Rathcoole. A building project to provide a new 16-classroom school plus a two-classroom special educational needs unit for the school is included in my Department's school...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's response. I think there is a clear acknowledgment in the reply I gave that the Department is committed to providing the facilities that the Deputy has mentioned. I will ensure that my Department officials meet with representatives of the school.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputies Whitmore and Brady for raising this matter. It provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position regarding the accommodation needs of the North Wicklow Educate Together secondary school for this September. As the Deputies may be aware, the school was established in 2016 and has been accommodated since then, as the Deputies said, in a leased property on the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the case the Deputies are making and the frustration being experienced all around. All I can say is that my Department is doing all it can to expedite this matter as quickly as possible for the benefit of everybody, and in particular for the benefit of the students and staff of the school. I clarify once again that my Department is continuing to prioritise this matter and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. I understand, based on the information available to me, that students who were residing in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they vacated their accommodation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While I would wish to see the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to supporting all schools in enrolling children residing in accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), under the system known as direct provision, in a fair and transparent manner. All pupils enrolled qualify for capitation grants; pro-rata capitation is also provided for each pupil enrolled after 30th ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 2019/2020  school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 current 2019/2020 school  year over 120,000 children, including over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The list of special classes in County Dublin for the years referred to by the Deputy, including special classes for children with autism, is available on the NCSE website at https://ncse.ie/  Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students. For the calculated grades...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students. Calculated Grades are based on an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 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 wellbeing 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: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/ September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this. Receipt of the public health advice will underpin ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Schools are best placed to determine how best to support the learning needs of their students based on their own context and circumstances. Central to this is the role of the teacher, as mediator and facilitator, in ensuring the continuity of engagement regardless of the mechanism chosen for that purpose. During the school closures teachers were provided with guidance to ensure that they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On 12 June 2020 my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business”. The report set out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to fully reopen schools at the start of the next school year. Receipt of the public health advice on the 1stJuly will further underpin this important...