Results 4,841-4,860 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Since 2017, the Spending Review has become a key platform for evaluative analysis across the Civil Service. While Value for Money and Policy Reviews continue to be produced across a number of Departments, some of this work is now completed as part of the Spending Review which is led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. More details on the process can be found here:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 732, 733 and 734 together. My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the infection prevention and control measure appropriate for schools. At present it is a requirement for face coverings to be worn by teachers and staff in primary schools when a physical distance of two meters from other staff or children cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015, the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the registration of teachers. Section 7 of the Teaching Council Act provides for the Council to establish procedures in relation to the induction of teachers into the teaching profession. The Council defines a “newly qualified teacher” or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: In relation to the schools to which the Deputy refers I can confirm that my Department Officials have been engaging with the relevant school authorities to ensure that the shared space in their interim accommodation location meets the needs of all stakeholders on the site and I can confirm that there will still be sufficient open space for all.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The Summer Works Scheme that launched in 2019 was a multi-annual scheme and applications are held in the system for consideration under future rounds of the scheme. There are 10 categories in total and to date 3 of those categories have been assessed. I wish to advise that commensurate with the level of funding available for the SWS in 2021, applications will be assessed on a top down...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The suggested living wage at €12.30 per hour, based on a 37 hour standard net working week, equates to an annual salary of €23,747. 1 member of staff in my Department is currently earning just below this annual salary amount but are on a salary scale that progresses to the suggested living wage and above through incremental progression. There are no staff currently employed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: On 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations would proceed, guided by public health advice, and that 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 was taken by government to ensure for every candidate in 2021, a method to assess...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (15 Jun 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: State Examinations (15 Jun 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: School Funding (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Funding to build digital infrastructure, including purchase of devices is provided directly to schools as schools are best placed to determine the most appropriate solution to adopt in terms of supporting the learning needs of their students based on school's own context and circumstances, and in accordance with their Digital Learning Plan. Decisions regarding the use and deployment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Please find below the requested information. The data is for the 2019-20 academic year the most recent year we have data available for. We will update the table as soon as the final enrolment data for 2020-2021 is published, end of June 2021. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and are collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 748 to 751, inclusive, together. Teachers are currently allocated to post primary schools at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector. Each 1 point adjustment to the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level is estimated to cost in the region of €56.5m per annum. At primary level, the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 752, 761 and 763 together. My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities in the design of new and refurbished primary and post primary schools. In primary schools, a servery of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Details of annual expenditure by my Department on capitation related grants for Primary and Post-Primary schools in the years 2009 to 2020 are provided in the table below.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.1 million in 2020 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 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: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: In the 2020/21 school year there are 3,108 mainstream primary schools of which 689 are participating in the DEIS Programme. Each 1 point adjustment to the overall primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €4.8m in the first year and €14.5m for the full year. Under Budget 2021 I announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. On...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (15 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. My Department will spend over €150million on supports for schools under the DEIS programme in 2021. This also includes in the region of €16 million which will be provided to schools in the form of a DEIS grant for the...