Results 4,381-4,400 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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. As per the information requested...

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

Norma Foley: My Department recognises the very important role played by small schools and island schools in maintaining the communities and culture of the islands, and is therefore strongly committed to the maintenance of the schools on the islands. For this reason and in recognition of the unique challenges faced by island schools my Department has provided additional supports to such schools. As...

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...

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

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, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategy Statements (6 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that, in line with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, a draft of a new Statement of Strategy for the three year period from 2021 to 2023 was provided to me by my Department in December 2020. Following discussions regarding the draft, I expect to bring the Statement of Strategy to Government later in May. It will subsequently be...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a building project to provide improved accommodation for the schools in question is included on the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). The accommodation brief for the project is being developed and my Department will continue to liaise with the schools in this regard. The Department has also approved...

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

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. I know these two cases are of particular interest to her. I acknowledge that she has raised these issues consistently. To give the background as to where we are within the Department, following a demographic exercise carried out by the Department into the future need for primary and post-primary schools across the county for the period from 2019 to 2022, the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. I again acknowledge her personal engagement on an ongoing basis in regard to these two schools. I commit that we will expedite them as quickly as we possibly can. As the Senator will appreciate, there is a considerable body of work when a number of different sites have to be technically assessed, but we will do all we can to expedite this as quickly as possible. In...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Records (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. I am commenting on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, who, due to a prior commitment, is unable to be here. For the record, I will read his response. He has made inquiries into the matter. The position is that there are no immediate plans to make the 8 million or so records of the former Irish Land Commission...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Records (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: My thanks to the Senator for his kind remarks at the outset. I acknowledge and appreciate that this is a matter close to his heart. I acknowledge the bona fides with which he brings such a proposal. As he outlined, it has particular scope and benefit by reference to local historians, genealogy, researchers, diaspora tourism and so on. As he will appreciate from the relevant Minister's...

Seanad: Education (Leaving Certificate Examinations) (Accredited Grades) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach. Is mór an onóir dom a bheith anseo agus ba mhaith liom ar dtús mo bhuíochas a ghabháil as an am agus an deis a thabhairt dom labhairt leis na Comhaltaí inniu. I am honoured to be in the House to bring the Education (Leaving Certificate Examinations) (Accredited Grades) Bill 2021 forward on Second Stage and to...

Seanad: Education (Leaving Certificate Examinations) (Accredited Grades) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 May 2021)

Norma Foley: When I opened this debate, I set out the objectives and principles underpinning this Bill. At its simplest, it will be appreciated that the Bill is designed to help our leaving certificate classes of 2021 to complete their schooling and to progress to the next chapter of their lives. This progression and transition is one of the recognised milestones in the lives of so many students for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's school building programme. My Department is currently finalising the project brief which will incorporate the outcome of the site visit with the aim of progressing the project into the architectural planning process as soon as possible. The project brief will be provided to the patron...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 provides inter alia that the Minister will establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) classes for the family of deaf children and education and support for children whose primary language is ISL attending recognised schools; and training for teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many pupils who are Deaf or hard of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The building project for the Cork Educate Together Secondary School is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. My Department's Project Managers are engaging with the local authority in relation to progressing a planning application.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Early Start units attached to primary schools are staffed by teachers and child care workers, and the role of the child care workers is to meet the care needs of all the children in the unit, including those children with special educational needs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 May 2021)

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, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that this school has been granted approval for two mainstream classrooms and two SET rooms under the 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 include all statutory planning approvals and an accurate pre-tender...