Results 4,421-4,440 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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. With regard to transport...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department routinely meet with the representatives of the Patron, An Foras Pátrúnachta every 4 - 6 weeks to discuss progress made on site acquisitions for schools under this patronage, including the school referred to by the Deputy. An Foras Pátrúnachta have been fully advised on the progress of the site identification and...

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

Norma Foley: In relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, my Department issued both verbal and written communication to An Foras Pátrúnachta on Wednesday, 28 April, informing them that the interim location for the school for September 2021 will be in the Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education Training Board (DDLETB) building at Eblana Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. My Department...

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

Norma Foley: The first school to which the Deputy refers is a new school being established in September 2021. My Department issued both verbal and written communication to the relevant Patron Body on Friday, 30th April, informing them that the interim location for the school for September 2021 will be at premises on Kill Lane, Deansgrange, Dublin when that building is vacated by its current occupant at...

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

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that a number of design issues have arisen with this project including the security issues to which he refers. These issues were considered by the Department and addressed through changes in the design of the project. Thereafter, the capacity of the proposed building, and the number of staff it is required to accommodate, has been reviewed to ensure it meets the needs...

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

Norma Foley: The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 completed all stages of the Seanad in late 2019. My Department is currently awaiting an order for Second Stage in the Dáil at which the Bill will be read a second time and continue through the legislative process in that House. I wish to advise the Deputy that I fully support the overall aim of this legislation which is to improve the...

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

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice. I fully support this commitment and am working with the Department to develop a number of different approaches in the context of an expanding population and an increasing demand for multi-denominational education. The Schools Reconfiguration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 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 30th 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...

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

Norma Foley: The number of staff currently employed in my Department is 1376 full-time equivalent staff and the 2021 payroll allocation for my Department’s staff is *€84,789,000. *Includes overtime

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

Norma Foley: The Department has a communications unit to support with effective communications with stakeholders and the public. There is no external person or firm currently engaged to provide public relations advice.

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

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle. My Department has set out the content for each of these programmes in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 509 together. Under my Department’s Action Plan on Bullying, new Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools were published at the beginning of the 2013/2014 school year, following consultation with the relevant education partners. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school...

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 major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2(b) - (Detailed Design), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. The Stage 2(b) report for the project has been reviewed and the Design Team has carried out a final review of all tender...

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

Norma Foley: This major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 2b (Detailed Design). The Stage 2(b) report has been reviewed by my Department and comments have issued to the Design Team who have been requested to carry out a final review of all of its tender documentation to ensure compliance with Department requirements and to...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application, for capital funding, under the 'Additional School Accommodation Scheme' from the school in question. Officials from my Department have corresponded with the school authority on a number of occasions and await their response to a proposal which issued in February. On receipt of reply the application will be...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm that the Department of Education and South Dublin County Council have reached agreement in principle on the transfer of a site within the Clonburris SDZ as a proposed permanent location for the school to which you refer. We presently await confirmation of necessary internal approvals from SDCC to dispose of the site after which we would expect legal conveyancing to commence. It...

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

Norma Foley: It is my Department’s position that all fully registered Primary teachers are qualified to teach the full spectrum of the Primary Curriculum, including Physical Education (PE). Primary teachers undertake elements of PE as part of their initial teacher education. Currently, PE is one of seven curriculum areas within the Primary School Curriculum, introduced in 1999. The PE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 May 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department recognises that the move to online learning for some students with complex educational needs and for those most at risk of educational disadvantage has been particularly challenging. For that reason, my Department put a series of measures in place to assist schools in mitigating the impact of the school closures. During the period of school closure, schools were required to...