Results 5,041-5,060 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the deputy that the project to which he refers has already progressed through tender stage. This project was approved to go to construction on 16th June 2021, following a review of the Tender Report in the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Citizens' Assembly (29 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I am very pleased to see the inclusion of a Citizens’ Assembly on the future of education in the Programme for Government. Experience internationally and here at home of citizen’s assemblies as exercises in deliberative democracy have been extremely positive. Ireland is considered a leader in the use of deliberative democracy processes, having convened three in recent years:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (29 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is conscious of its key role in promoting, protecting and vindicating the achievement of the key human right to education. The Department’s recently-published Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 articulates a strong focus on equality and human rights which is at the core of the high level goal to ‘ensure equity of opportunity in education and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disabilities Assessments (29 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: All substantive Memoranda for Government are required to identify, under a disability impact assessment, any difficulties or barriers that may exist or arise within a service delivery, policy or process that prevents someone with a disability from availing of that service, policy or process. The disability impact assessment is undertaken in line with the guidelines, "How to Conduct a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the deputy has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. I am pleased to advise that the project has very recently been approved by the Department to go to tender in that respect. Louth County Council is working closely with the design team for the project to ensure that the project can be tendered to a pre-qualified list of tenderers as soon as possible....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 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: State Examinations (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 11 January 2021, all students, including students currently in fifth year and who are due to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022, engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools. Students in fifth year were prioritised for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Recognition (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the 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: School Accommodation (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 to 127, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that details on the current status of all school building projects, including those in Westmeath and Longford, may be viewed on the Department’s website at www.education.ie. Details of projects that have been completed are also published on the Department's website. In general, projects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides each Education and Training Board (ETB) with a staffing allocation to support its schools, colleges, head office and other centres of education. In providing these supports, it is the responsibility of each ETB to recruit and manage staffing levels within this allocation and to deploy staff in roles in accordance with the priorities and needs as identified by the ETB...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, this project has been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). I am pleased to confirm that a design team to deliver this project has been appointed by the ETB. The appointed Design Team is now preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design). While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: As you are aware, my Department has undertaken a review of the ex gratia scheme established in the wake of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment. This review was in response to a determination by the Independent Assessor, Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that one of the criteria for eligibility to the scheme is incompatible with the ECtHR judgement. The issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: In order to ensure adequate school place provision, my Department engages with the statutory planning process and seeks to reserve suitably located sites for future educational requirements based on population projections of an area. In regard to the site to which the Deputy refers, it is situated in an area that has experienced significant population growth due to development in recent years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provided €100m in grant funding to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools to address their ICT needs during 2020, the final issue of funding under the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools. This included €50m in respect of the 2020-2021 school year brought forward and issued in December...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, this 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: State Examinations (30 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to all students because of school closures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 11 January 2021, all students engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools. Students who have just completed fifth year and who are due to take Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022 have experienced a degree of disruption to their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (1 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The school transport scheme is significant operation, managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the current school year, more than 114,000 children, including more than 14,700 children with special educational needs, SEN, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country, at a cost of more than €224.7 million in 2020. All...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (1 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I am conscious of the issues the Deputy raises. As a consequence of that, he will be aware that there is a full review of the school transport system, which I have instigated. In the shortest term possible, we have asked for the interim report. The interim report looks at issues of eligibility in terms of nearest school and next-nearest school. I am pleased to say that in the short term,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (1 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: There will be additional 1,800.