Results 5,781-5,800 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The National Strategy: Literacy & Numeracy for Learning and life 2011-2020 and Interim Review 2017 sets out a clear vision for raising standards of teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy for all learners including those with additional needs in our early years, primary and post-primary schools. The strategy has resulted in reforms in initial teacher education, dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. As part of the Budget 2021 measures, the Government have sought to deliver on this commitment by the announcement of a 1 point change to the primary staffing schedule and the introduction of a three point reduction in the number of pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The Department previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS Programme serving over 186,000 pupils - 687 Primary and 197 Post Primary. The full list of supports available under the DEIS Programme for the 2021/22 school year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 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 (23 Sep 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: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has always been guided by Public Health in relation to appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures that have been put in place in schools to operate safely and prevent the introduction of Covid-19 and also the onward of transmission of Covid-19 among the school community. These measures protect pupils/students, their parents and school staff and are very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 169 together. Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to Senior Cycle. All schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: A key part of the DEIS Plan was the introduction of a new DEIS identification process based on an objective, statistics based model. In terms of the further extension of the DEIS Programme to more schools, an extensive body of work is being undertaken in terms of the refinement of this model, including data analysis and consultation with education partners. Once the work on the refined DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS Programme serving over 186,000 pupils - 687 Primary and 197 Post Primary. My Department will spend over €150 million on the DEIS Programme in 2021, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications established a jointly funded pathfinder programme with the SEAI, testing and demonstrating energy efficiency and decarbonisation retrofit approaches. This pathfinder is a great example of collaboration ensuring the deployment of new design approaches and technologies are introduced to the educational environment on an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Department guidance to schools in relation to infection prevention and control measures does not restrict the use of lockers by schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The conversion of the Carrigaline Gaelscoil primary school building to a dedicated Special School involved significant construction and building renovation works. This work was undertaken during the months of July and August following the vacation of the Gaelscoil for the summer recess on June 25th 2021. The internal works were prioritised to ensure the school building was upgraded to create...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established. The review involved a very broad range of research, consultations and communications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The brief for the project referred to by the Deputy is to provide a new replacement school building designed for special needs pupils on a green field site. The project will deliver a single storey building, providing an 8 classroom special school and appropriate ancillary accommodation including a General Purpose room, a Home Economics Room, a Daily Living Skills room, library and resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is liaising with the school in question relating to a proposed site visit. Indicative dates have been proposed and my Department expects to be in a position to confirm a date to the school shortly. In the meantime, my Department approved four additional temporary classrooms for the school and I understand that they are in the process of being constructed on site.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 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: School Transport (23 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 Curriculum (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established. The review involved a very broad range of research, consultations and communications...