Results 561-580 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (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, wellbeing and the issues raised by the Deputy.  My Department recognises that additional funding will be required for schools to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department...

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

Norma Foley: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of  student and graduate data from all HEA-funded higher education institutions. The latest available HEA data relates to enrolments in the 2018/2019 academic year. Data in relation to enrolments in the 2019/2020 academic year are currently being returned by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the school to which he refers has been approved for funding, under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme, for the works in question. The current position is that a tender report in respect of these works was received but further information in relation to the cost of same had to be obtained from the school authorities in order to make...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Since the onset of Covid-19 in March, my Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have collaborated with key stakeholders from the Higher Education sector, including the Irish Universities Association, (IUA) and the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA)  to identify, quantify and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts...

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

Norma Foley: The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of primary and post-primary school that have access to hot water is not readily available within my Department. The Covid 19 Interim Recommendations for the reopening of schools and educational facilities public health guidance states that while warm running water is preferable for handwashing, that cold water...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that an application has been received, by my Department, in relation to the school concerned. The application is currently under assessment and once complete, the school authorities will be notified directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Inquiries (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that there are no tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigation in process in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 104 together. The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, higher education institutions are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (15 Jul 2020)

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. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Schools have been notified of the arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2020/21. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has no role in awarding or conferring chartered status on a registered educational or membership body. I am advised that this is not a title typically conferred by the Irish State but has historically been awarded by the relevant authorities in the UK.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: To assist with the development of plans for the re-opening and operation of higher education in an environment that may require social distancing and other public health requirements, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is engaging with relevant stakeholders from the higher education sector. The importance of informing students of arrangements for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 using the HP Deprivation Index. A detailed quality analysis of the data has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains officials from my Department and the Educational Research Centre. The work of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (15 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: There are no plans to close the schools referred to by the Deputy. In September 2018, the NCSE was requested to develop policy advice on the educational provision that should be in place for students educated in special schools and classes and to make recommendations on the provision required to enable them achieve better outcomes. It was agreed that the report would be completed and...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I move the following Revised Estimates: Vote 26 — Education and Skills (Revised) That a sum not exceeding €10,133,218,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and Skills, for certain services administered by that...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies for their engagement and questions, some of which were repeated. I want to be absolutely unequivocal regarding the reopening of schools. My first engagement on appointment was meeting with a wide variety of valued stakeholders in education, including parents, teachers, students, managerial bodies, principals and deputy principals. Following those consultations, I was...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I anticipate that announcements on the reopening of schools will come at the end of this month. I imagine that the costs will be available at that time, though perhaps not all of them will be. It would be premature at this stage to put any figures before the House because discussions are still ongoing. I will highlight some of the points Deputies have made regarding the reopening of the...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: That is fine. I have just one or two other points regarding other issues that were raised. Regarding children with particular needs, I highlight that continuing support is being provided to 890 DEIS schools, catering for more than 180,000 students, and to the school meals programme, etc. All of those resources will be put in place. The ability of students to engage in the education system...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. I agree with him that the classroom, and indeed all of our world, will be a very different place now than it was prior to the arrival of Covid-19. Regarding the issue of the pupil-teacher ratio, there is a clear acknowledgement in the programme for Government on that issue. In respect of the future, however, it should be acknowledged that there has...