Results 4,361-4,380 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Education Support Centres are separate legal entities recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by local voluntary Management Committees which are elected annually. The Management Committee are responsible for the employment and payment of Education Support Centre staff. Education Support Centres receive annual grant funding from my Department. The level of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: A detailed analysis of school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016, using the HP Deprivation Index, has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group. This group contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. My Department has commenced a consultation process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: At this time, the Department is engaging with education partners to ensure that any challenges with regard to filling substitutable vacancies are highlighted. If further measures are required my Department will of course engage with the relevant stakeholders to explore and consider other solutions. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS was first introduced in 2006 and the identification of schools for inclusion was based on two different processes at primary and post primary. At primary level, there was a survey of school principals which relied largely on subjective assessment using socio-economic variables. At post primary level a combination of data from the Departments pupil database including school level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: On 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations will proceed and students will also have the alternative option of applying for grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), to be known as SEC-Accredited Grades. This decision followed intensive engagement with education stakeholders bilaterally and through the Advisory Group on Planning for State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: 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. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 May 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: Schools Building Projects (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy terminated the Contract for the construction of the school when the Contractor went into liquidation. The Board of Management and their Design Team are currently liaising with the Bondsman for the original Contractor with a view to finalising the scope of outstanding works on the project. The appointment of a contractor to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Tá forbairt scileanna teanga labhartha na scoláirí chun tosaigh sna sonraíochtaí nua don Ghaeilge mar chuid den Chreat don tSraith Shóisearach. Bhí an scrúdú béil a bhí sa Teastas Sóisearach roimhe seo roghnach agus ghlac thart ar 40% de na scoláirí é, agus ba iad na múinteoirí i gcoitinne a rinne...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Irish constitution acknowledges the role of a parent/guardian as the primary educator of the child and has enshrined in law that a parent/guardian may home educate a child or may choose to send their child to a non-recognised school (i.e. a school which is not recognised by the Minister in accordance with section 10 of the Education Act 1998). In line with the provisions of Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that under the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development 2014 – 2020, significant work has been done integrating sustainable development across the curriculum, into the assessment and inspection process and into Initial Teacher Education and Teacher Continuing Professional Development. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is not all readily available and is being collated by officials in my Department. A response will be fowarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Schools are required to submit to Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) a student absence report, twice annually, indicating learners who have been absent for more than 20 days. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sports Facilities (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design & Build programme. The project is currently in architectural planning with the planning application being finalised and due to be submitted to the local authority shortly. The project is to deliver a 1,000 pupil post primary school + 4 classroom Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 May 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 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including Midleton and Carrigtwohill. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Covid-19 pandemic and associated school closures has impacted children and their families, especially those with special educational needs and at risk of educational disadvantage. To mitigate this, the Department provided a number of additional supports for children with Special Educational Needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage in 2020/21 school year. Additional guidance was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 99 together. I can confirm to the Deputy that this school has been granted approval for two mainstream classrooms and two SET rooms under the Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. This project was recently granted Planning Permission from the Local Authority and Department officials have requested the school to submit a Stage 2b report to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware my Department has established a drawdown framework for the supply and installation of modular accommodation to assist schools with the delivery of accommodation for September 2021. The drawdown framework is primarily being used for projects where there is greatest demographic demand. Schools availing of the framework have been identified and the school authority...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: As the deputy is aware, the Irish language is accorded special status in Ireland and is protected by various pieces of Legislation and in particular Article 8 of our Constitution which states that “The Irish Language as the national language is the first official language”. The Education Act 1998 recognises the particular responsibility of the education system with regard to...