Results 461-480 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Educationincluding 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. All special...

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

Norma Foley: Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their education and...

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

Norma Foley: Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their education and social interactions....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The patronage divesting process arises from the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, following which the Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population in 2012 and 2013 to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the building project for the school in question is included in my Department’s Construction Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. The Design Team have been appointed and are currently working on Stage 1 of Architectural Planning (Site Suitability, Site Report, and Initial Sketch). When the Design Team have...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 562 and 563 together. My Department has implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments which was completed in September 2012 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There are no plans at this time to further review eligibility criteria for qualification allowances.  

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

Norma Foley: Due to the need to prioritise the available capital funding for essential classroom accommodation, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not in a position to provide the funding sought by the school in question for an outdoor sporting facility.

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

Norma Foley: Teachers and SNAs employed by their school to provide school based summer provision are paid a rate based on their normal salary. Home-based provision is available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year. In this situation the Department will provide grant funding towards the...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566, 568 and 602 together. I understand that the pupil referred to by the Deputy who applied for a school place at Coláiste Pobail Osrai was offered a place and that the offer was declined. I wish to advise the Deputy that in relation to schools admission, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has been in contact with the Deputy seeking clarification on the issue raised. On receipt of this clarification my Department will contact the Deputy again.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has secured the agreement of the owners of the temporary site to accommodate the school referred to by the Deputy. The legal arrangements associated with the lease are currently being finalised by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and the owner's legal representative and is expected to be completed shortly. My Department’s Planning and Building Unit is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, Ministers of State are appointed by the Government, on nomination of the Taoiseach. In accordance with the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, the Government may delegate, by way of an Order, to a Minister of State any of the powers and duties of the relevant Minister of the Government under any particular Act or any particular statutory power...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, arrangements for the establishment of my Department are currently being progressed, including in respect of the transfer of statutory and administrative functions, and delegation of responsibilities will be considered in that overall context in due course.  

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has recently sanctioned additional capital funding, to the school referred to, for the provision of an additional special class.  This funding will allow the school to deliver a 2-class Special Educational Needs Base.  The school authority has been informed of this decision. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (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 public health advice will underpin ongoing...

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

Norma Foley: There has been a lot of engagement between my Department and stakeholders in relation to re-opening in September and this engagement is on-going. My Department’s number one priority, and the wider school sector is to reopen our schools as fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year.  The Department and stakeholders are collectively focused on...

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 of Education and Skills. 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 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned for delivery under my Department's Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning and construction. The project is currently in the Architectural Planning phase with site surveys completed.  A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned for delivery under my Department's Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning and construction. The project is currently in early Architectural Planning.  The next milestone in the progression of...