Results 5,281-5,300 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 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: Education Schemes (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Non-formal educational and outdoor activities resources and opportunities for the summer months including summer camps are not provided by my Department. These activities are normally provided for by organisations that charge a fee for their product/service and my Department does not endorse any one product or service. My Department has a general policy of encouraging the use of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I have already advised the Deputy on the current position regarding the Leaving Certificate Mandarin Chinese specification which was designed as an ab initio course, in the sense that the targeted learners are Irish or international students with no previous knowledge of the language. While heritage speakers are certainly allowed to study the course and sit the exam, the specification is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department has updated its guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. This was done at the end of May and followed on from work done centrally by an Expert Group that was looking at the role of ventilation in managing Covid-19. A copy of the guidance is published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department has updated its guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. This was done at the end of May and followed on from work done centrally by an Expert Group that was looking at the role of ventilation in managing Covid-19. It should be noted that the Expert Group found the Department of Education guidance to be very strong. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Some curriculum specifications and the various syllabuses have specific curriculum content related to this topic. In subjects or modules where it is not specifically mentioned the topic of breastfeeding may occur during class conversation and through interactions with students. For example, from a nutritional aspect the subject of breastfeeding may come up in Post Primary Home Economics...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: My department is committed to making the information on its website accessible to all, regardless of ability. To this end, the Department's website is designed to follow guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The department aims to comply with Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. In addition, a number of Triple-A checkpoints are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department’s 2020 Statistical Report “Projections of full-time enrolment, Primary and Second Level, 2020-2038” sets out projected future enrolments at a national level. Overall, primary enrolments are projected to have peaked in 2018 and are currently on a downward trend. Post-primary enrolments are projected to peak in 2024. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants. The total year one cost of equalising the pay of new entrant teachers to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and the system of SEC-Accredited Grades for Leaving Certificate 2021. 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 Staff (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As someone who comes from the school sector, I am keenly aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries and caretakers in the running of our schools. In recognition of this role, I have put special arrangements in place for this school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 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: School Transport (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/21 school year more than 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020. Due to the HSE ransomware...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The retention rate is calculated based on the first-year entry, tracking the progression through post-primary until the leaving certificate examination. The LC retention rate of Wexford is in line with the national average for the past four years. Local.Authority Entry.Year LC.sit.year Cohort ESL LCexam LCexam.per Wexford...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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. All children who are eligible...

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

Norma Foley: The number of staff in my Department by location and function is set out in the attached table. The renting/leasing of all offices in my Department, with the exception of office space which a small number of Department staff share with the state-owned Kilkenny Education Centre, is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) which acts as an agent for all Government Departments in this regard....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (15 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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. All children who are eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Curaclam Scoile (15 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Is é ról na Comhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta (NCCA) forbairtí sa churaclam agus sa mheasúnú a threorú agus comhairle a chur ar an Aire Oideachais a bhfuil an fhreagracht deiridh air as an gcuraclam a chinneadh. I ndáiríre, oibríonn mo Roinn go dlúth leis an NCCA chun curaclaim a fhorbairt ar gach...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the long-term accommodation needs of the school in question have been identified and agreed with the school management authority. The brief for building project is currently being developed by my Department's Professional and Technical staff and once finalised will be issued to the school authority for delivery in the earliest possible timeframe.