Results 501-520 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.  Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and...

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.    In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Protected Disclosures (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has received 6 protected disclosures in relation to institutes of technology.  The details requested by the Deputy are contained in the following table.  Year Institute of Technology Outcome 2016 Waterford IoT Ongoing   2017 Dundalk IoT (anonymous) Concluded ...

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.  In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million...

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

Norma Foley: 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 places available, the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: COVID 19 has presented challenges to all sectors of education, including PLC colleges, and the facilitating of practical examinations has been a particular challenge. The needs of learners are central to further education and training provision and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) provided alternative assessments across a wide range of courses. Where alternative assessment...

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 the public health advice will underpin ongoing...

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

Norma Foley: Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical and curricular arrangements and the issues raised by the Deputy. My Department recognises that additional funding will be required for schools to support enhanced cleaning to prevent COVID-19...

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

Norma Foley: I recognise that enhanced cleaning will be required to support schools to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirement to provide funding to support enhanced cleaning needs and we will provide further details of the support available once the arrangements are finalised. My Department have also arranged for a...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (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...

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, including...

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

Norma Foley: There are currently 68 special classes for children with autism in Co. Tipperary, of which 46 are primary and 22 are post primary.  A list of special classes for the current school year, including special classes for children with autism, is available on the NCSE website . Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youthreach Programme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Statistics regarding  the ethnic background of Youthreach Participants are recorded by Education and Training Boards on a further education and training database, the Programme Learner Support System (PLSS ). The following figures are a unique count of learners enrolled in the Youthreach programme during 2019 as reported on PLSS. However it should be noted...

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

Norma Foley: Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year; with 1,353 of these catering for children with autism. The National Council for 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: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The timeframe for sitting the postponed Leaving Certificate 2020 examinations cannot be determined at this time pending public health advice that would identify a safe period of time to do so and pending the confirmation of the number of candidates that will sit each subject. It is not expected that students who seek to rely on the results of the postponed examinations will be able...

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

Norma Foley: I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools.   In Budget 2020 the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools was increased, allowing schools with enrolments of 500-625 to fill secretary vacancies provided they have fewer than 1.5 secretaries; schools with enrolments of 626-699 to fill...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Following the school closure in March 2020, my Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students as well as supporting their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This guidance aimed, inter alia, to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of...