Results 6,061-6,080 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: Among the COVID-19 supports provided for the 2020/21 school year, additional measures to provide for substitution to cover for teacher absences were introduced.  These included a major expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panels.  These were extended and currently almost 380 newly appointed supply panel teachers are employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff. This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a number of policies and programmes which are supportive of homework clubs for students at risk of educational disadvantage.  All DEIS schools receive an additional DEIS grant which is to be used to support the implementation of the schools’ DEIS Action Plan for Improvement. This Plan sets targets under key themes, such as attendance, retention,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 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. As Minister for Education I am very conscious of the importance of library services...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 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.  As the Deputy is aware,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded by my Department to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 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. The very high rates of take up of the vaccines across society has been hugely...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. Marino Institute of Education is a private charitable trust under the co-trusteeship of the European Province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin offering a range of educational programmes including primary initial teacher education (ITE), early childhood education and further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with Department Circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which has been raised consistently with me by Deputy Calleary and Senator Chambers. As Deputy Ring outlined, I met a deputation from the school and was happy to do so. Nevertheless, this Topical Issue matter gives me an opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to Holy Trinity National School. Holy Trinity is a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: It is my primary objective, at all times, that all schools are treated fairly in the process. The Deputy will accept that I have an obligation under the public spending code to maximise the use of State assets. Therefore, consideration must be given to the master plan. I am obliged to do that but I hear very clearly the case the Deputy makes. I assure him that the Department is in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: It would not be appropriate for me, as the Deputy will appreciate, to comment directly on an individual school and that is not the purpose of the Topical Issue matter. It has always been and will continue to be the case that we will operate on the back of full public health advice. All the operations within our schools, from their reopening and the measures we put in place at that time,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I am inundated with invitations to County Wexford and the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, is consistently inviting me. I accept the Deputy's invitation also. When my diary allows it, I will be absolutely happy to visit. I am certainly very conscious of the Deputy's invitation. I appreciate the case made by the Deputy. There is positive news in what I have to say...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bus Éireann (20 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: Departmental Contracts (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department has not held meetings or conducted correspondence with the company in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: A student cannot be expelled from a school before the passing of 20 school days following the receipt of a notification under Section 24 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000.  The Educational Welfare Service have confirmed that they received the notification of intention to expel, in respect of the student (named by the Deputy) on 24th September 2021.    An...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements for teachers is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID (Contract of Indefinite Duration) holding teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is key to my Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: Please find attached 2020-21 enrolments by county for Mainstream Primary Schools, Special Schools & Post-Primary Schools. Please note all data is sourcedfrom the final enrolment figures for 2020-21 which can be found here; assets.gov.ie/129343/d973aee9-026b-40d4-b645-e3e8f07afebb.xl sx assets.gov.ie/129346/de6f5f01-b86b-4503-b5a6-c8da4d78dfa7.xl sx ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The attached tables detail the total number of teaching posts allocated for primary schools (mainstream only) and post-primary schools during the 2020/2021 academic year. Teaching posts in mainstream primary schools by county 2020-2021 County.Description Total.posts.2020.2021 Carlow 488 Cavan 635.9 Clare ...