Results 5,821-5,840 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: We have provided data for the most recent OECD Education at a Glance report 2020. In table D2.1 page 354 refers, you will find the average class size for Ireland which is 24 for the reporting year 2018-2019. The data published in the OECD report is average class size by country, class size band data is not published. The most recently published detailed class size information can be found...

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

Norma Foley: My Department issued Circular 32/2017 which sets out principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs. These include that all elements of a school uniform should be purchasable from various stores, that wherever possible generic rather than branded items should be specified and the provision to parents of a list of all...

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

Norma Foley: Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils enrolled in recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. The manner in which voluntary contributions are collected is a matter for school management, however their collection should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 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 Certificate...

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. The purpose of my...

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

Norma Foley: The school building projects referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. On June 14th 2021, the school building projects referred to by the Deputy proceeded to tender. It is anticipated that a contractor will be appointed in Quarter 1 2022.

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: School Facilities (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm that the name of the school to which the Deputy is referring has been clarified and the information provided below relates to the larger primary school in the relevant town. I can confirm that an Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) application and First Level Education (FLE) application were assessed in 2019 for the school to which he refers. At that time, there was...

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: 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 Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: 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 similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism...

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: School Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I know from my own experiences that 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...

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

Norma Foley: I know from my own experiences that 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...

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

Norma Foley: The provisions related to the Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department's Circular Letter 41/2014 titled ‘Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools’ and for teachers is contained in Chapter 8 of my Department’s Circular Letter Circular 0054/2019 titled ‘Leave Schemes for...

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. The purpose of my...

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. The purpose of my...

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: School Accommodation (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Thereis currently no application for building works in my Department for the school named. My officials have made contact directly with the Deputy in this regard. The Environmental Protection Agency is a separate entity to the Department of Education.

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...