Results 6,021-6,040 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: Gross expenditure on the order of €104 million was incurred by my Department on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools in the 2020/2021 school year. Capital supports (building related and ICT grants) are also available to such schools. In recent years, an annual average of approx. €1m has been paid to such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The total amount of capital funding (primarily building related and ICT grants) paid by my Department to fee-charging schools from 2017 to date is set out in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that the total current costs incurred by my Department on the rental of temporary accommodation, land, prefabs and former educational buildings in County Wicklow in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021 is detailed in the following table. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Grand Total ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The issues in relation to the handover of the building referred to by the Deputy were particular to this project. My Department took a prudent approach to ensure it was fully satisfied that the school building met the required safety requirements prior to handover and occupation. As the Deputy will be aware, the school building was handed over on July 30th 2021 and is in use by the school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural planning which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of Planning Permission. As part of the conditions of sale, the lodgement of planning permission is under the remit of the vendor. The Department has been working closely with the vendor to expedite a planning application for the new school. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice. I fully support this commitment and am working with the Department to develop a number of different approaches in the context of an expanding population in some areas and an increasing demand for multi-denominational education. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 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. Under the terms of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for Primary schools. At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in the local authority areas. The amount of the grant payable to each local authority was based on the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for Primary schools. At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in the local authority areas. The amount of the grant payable to each local authority was based on the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved funding to the school in question to undertake refurbishment works to temporary accommodation at the school's previous site to accommodate the additional special classes The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), for the development and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the 11 State Boards that fall within the remit of my Department, is provided in the attached table. Name of aegis body Number of board members Number of women on board % of women on board An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) 12 6 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and I announced a public consultation on a new strategy for Education for Sustainable Development earlier this year, which was conducted between April and June 2021. Almost 100 detailed submissions were received in addition to approximately 150 responses to an on-line survey. Officials in both departments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (12 Oct 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. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 25 pupils which is at its historically lowest level. In addition, there has been a three...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently consulting on draft specifications for Leaving Certificate Irish. The L1 specification is aimed at students in Irish medium schools, including native speakers, and the L2 specification is aimed at students in English medium schools where Irish is taught as a second language. Schools participating in the Gaeltacht...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: Cavan and Monaghan ETB has confirmed to my Department that it is currently renting or leasing 9 properties in Co. Cavan. The table below sets out the address of each property along with the agreed annual cost of rental. Property Name Address Agreed annual Cost of lease or rental (€) CMETB Sub Office Church View Square, Cavan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is very aware of the challenges that pertain to Transition Year students trying to obtain relevant work experience at this time. My Department has already provided schools with a series of updated curriculum and assessment guidance and advice notes and work experience has been part of this communication. It is expected that students will complete work experience in a workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the extended Summer Education Programme, which was in place until 2020, and which was often referred to as the July Provision programme, initially provided for pupils who had Autism, or who had severe and profound learning difficulties. Since the summer of 2020, and again in 2021, the Department has made provision for a significantly expanded summer education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Oct 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 Staff (12 Oct 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 majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (12 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 302, 303 and 304 together. New schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. As set out for the Deputy previously, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my...