Results 4,401-4,420 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. Officials from my Department have been communicating with the school authority and as a result of additional information provided the application is now progressing. On completion of the assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development (CPD) and supports for all teachers and principals. The majority of this support is provided by the national teacher education support services and by local education support centres. The national teacher education support services are the Professional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policy Functions (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware small schools are defined for statistical purposes as schools with 4 mainstream teachers or less. Small schools are highly valued in their communities in that they provide a vital link to local heritage and history, help sustain rural populations and often act as a link for sports and social activity. There is a commitment contained in the Programme for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council inform me that the person referred to by the Deputy is registered since 2019 and that this query relates to adding a subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides capitation grant funding to all recognised primary schools. The amount paid to an individual primary school for capitation and ancillary services is determined by the school’s enrolment. Both of these grants are subject to minimum enrolments and therefore the grant paid to schools with an enrolment of equal to or less than 60 pupils is based on an enrolment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration)...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to facilitate construction of three classrooms, one resource room, two standard WC and one WC for assisted users. A Stage 1 submission was received in my Department which indicated that there are site restrictions applicable to the project, which had cost implications for its delivery. A...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has approved, in principle, interim accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy. This accommodation will be delivered by the patron of the school. My Department is liaising with the patron in relation to the delivery of this interim accommodation and understands that the tender competition is complete and the outcome is currently being analysed by the patron's...

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

Norma Foley: Fórsa trade union have tabled a claim seeking public service status for secretaries and caretakers who are currently employed directly by schools but which did not include any other school sector staff. Officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and School Management Bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the claim. On the 27th of October 2020,...

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: School Staff (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of school staff and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0021/2021. The Circular caters for special leave with pay...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, we have previously reached Agreement in Principle with a landowner in respect of the acquisition of a site at Donaghcumper, Celbridge. We are pleased to announce that significant progress has been made recently and we expect the acquisition to proceed to Legal Conveyancing stage in the near future. The acquisition will be subject to contract. The site is proposed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to ensure that “education contributes to sustainable development by equipping learners with the relevant knowledge (the ‘what’), the key dispositions and skills (the ‘how’) and the values (the ‘why’) that will motivate and empower them throughout their lives to become...

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a devolved grant was approved to the school under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme 2020 to purchase one mainstream prefabricated classroom which I can confirm is currently at construction. The delivery of the project has been devolved to the School Authority. With regard to the Major Project, I am pleased to advise that...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, in line with The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 Act, my Department provides for an extensive range of supports to assist pupils and young persons with special educational needs, including children who are Deaf or hard of hearing, to ensure that children can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. Many pupils who are Deaf or hard of hearing are integrated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: As you are aware, the ex gratia scheme was established on foot of the specific circumstances arising from and in response to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) relating to Louise O'Keeffe. The Department undertook a review of the scheme in response to a determination by the Independent Assessor, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that one of the criteria for...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 469 together. 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...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information is not available in the format requested, however, the relevant patronage assessment report which includes a map of the school planning area which this school was established to serve and details of parental preferences in this regard are available at the following link: . I can also advise the Deputy that officials from my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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. The purpose of my Department's...