Results 5,481-5,500 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. It would take an investment of IT and other staffing resources to obtain this information. It is not possible given that the resource priorities must be allocated to ensuring the payment of teaching and non teaching staff on payrolls operated by my Department to provide this information. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015, which commenced on 1 January 2016, provided for certain changes in the exclusion of discrimination on particular grounds in certain employments (i.e. educational or medical institutions maintained, in whole or in part, by monies provided by the Oireachtas) by amending Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act, 1998. In Department Circular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department is aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries and caretakers in the running of our schools. In recognition of this role, special COVID-19 working arrangements were put in place and the Employee Assistance Service was extended to grant funded staff. The Department also previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department is aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries in the running of our schools. In recognition of this role, special COVID-19 working arrangements were put in place and the Employee Assistance Service was extended to grant funded staff. The Department also previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together. The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 to make awards to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories and other institutions subject to state regulation or inspection. The Residential Institutions Redress Board no longer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550, 556 and 566 together. The current policy within my Department is not to endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support the teaching of subjects. However, there are a number of exceptions where my Department has procured textbooks or resources in order to fill a specific and urgent need. Apart from a small number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 to 554, inclusive, together. The importance of good ventilation is an important aspect of public health advice on managing Covid-19 risks and this led to the establishment of an Expert Group by the Department of Health. A sub-group of the main Expert Group focussed exclusively on the issue of improving and monitoring ventilation in schools and this group...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: An application under my Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme (ASA) was received from the management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed and my Department is satisfied that the school has sufficient accommodation to meet its current needs. The school authorities have been informed of this decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 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. All children who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I am conscious that students who are due to take their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022 have experienced a degree of disruption to their learning. My Department co-chairs an Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations in conjunction with the State Examinations Commission. The group was originally established to consider contingency arrangements for the 2020 Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs.  SNA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 562 and 563 together. The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. Planning permission was secured for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 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.  All children who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 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.  The purpose of the School Transport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/2021 school year over 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.  The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 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.   All children who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. My Department’s Summer Programme for 2020 was a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years, and was expanded further for Summer 2021.  This was in recognition of the disruptions caused to children with complex needs during the COVID-related school closures in 2020 and 2021.  For the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the  2020/2021 chool year over 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.  All children who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has been involved for a number of years in providing a comprehensive integrated road safety education programme in pre-school, primary, post-primary, third level and in the community. This has been done in partnership many organisations including my Department, An Garda Síochána, the Health & Safety Authority and the Higher Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: In September 2018, it was agreed between my Department and the HSE, that where children identified by the HSE Audiology Review have a special educational need arising from their hearing impairment, my Department would provide support, in line with its various schemes. Supports provided would be based on children's individual needs, irrespective of the cause of those needs. Where supports...