Results 5,801-5,820 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school...

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

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. A copy of the guidance is published on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice first published in 2018 and refreshed in 2019. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to: - build core social and...

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

Norma Foley: I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019. The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: In 2012 a public service-wide review of all allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and as a result certain allowances were abolished with effect from 1stFebruary 2012. My Department issued Circular 0008/2013 which outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role based allowances, sanction for payment to new...

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

Norma Foley: Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website. The over-arching approach in the Department’s ventilation guidance for schools...

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

Norma Foley: The current NDP, as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework, provides for €8.8bn investment in schools during the period 2018 to 2027. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projectsunder the Large Scale Capital Programme (LSCP) and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, agreement in principle has been reached to acquire a site for the permanent location of the school in question. The location of the permanent site will incorporate the current temporary site at Mill Road, Drogheda at which the school is currently located. Officials in my Department are working together to manage the site acquisition, interim accommodation and the...

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

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. A copy of the guidance is published on...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021. This project will provide for a two classroom SEN base and has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. This project was approved in March 2021 and is in the early design stage. I can advise the Deputy that the school has also been...

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: Budget 2022 (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has, in advance of the Budget, received pre-budget submissions from a number stakeholders in the education sector and from organisations involved in other areas of public policy. As in previous years, relevant submissions continue to be reviewed and they will inform the specific budgetary priorities that I will be seeking to achieve in Budget 2022. These pre-budget...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area -...

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: 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, 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...

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

Norma Foley: The most recent weekly schools testing report outlines that from 29 August 2021 to 11 September 2021, 1,261 close contacts within primary schools have been identified and sent for testing and the positivity rate from these test is 58 cases or 4.39%. This is a very reassuring indicator that transmission in school settings remains at a low level and compares very favourably with community...

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: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system particularly in terms of additional capacity requirements. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projectsunder the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in...

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

Norma Foley: The Department has had weekly engagements with stakeholders in relation to public health advice and the implementation of important infection prevention and control measures in schools so that they can continue to operate safely. Throughout the pandemic detailed stakeholder engagement has been a critical factor in identifying the complex challenges that arise for schools and school...