Results 6,281-6,300 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 to 416, inclusive, together. The Department’s ventilation guidance for schools is very clear and practical on the steps to be taken by all schools to manage ventilation levels. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, a major building project to construct permanent accommodation for the school in question is included in the Department’s school building programme. When constructed, the new school will provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils and will also include a special education needs base. The building project is currently at Stage 3 of the architectural planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the School Energy Retrofit Pathfinder Programme is jointly funded by the Department of Education and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Planning and Building Unit in the Department of Education. This programme continues to assist the Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has a number of building projects planned and in train to ensure sufficient capacity is in place to meet the need for post primary school places in East Cork. These projects are being progressed through the School Building Programme and through the Additional School Accommodation Programme (ASA Scheme). Progress on the projects on both programmes can be tracked on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department, the Department of Health and Public Health continue to work closely to support schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. The approach to antigen setting in education settings, including in schools will be informed by public health advice. The Minister for Health is considering recommendations made in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. Public Health do not recommend that schools tell parents of other children that there has been a case of Covid-19 within a class or group within a school where follow up testing it not recommended. From a public health perspective there is no clinical need for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department’s ventilation guidance for schools is very clear and practical on the steps to be taken by all schools to manage ventilation levels. CO2levels provide a guide on air quality. Monitoring CO2levels will help schools to identify poorly ventilated rooms. Improving ventilation is the answer to addressing a poorly ventilated room. The digital readings and multi-colour...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The brief for this project is to provide a new replacement school building to accommodate 12 classrooms and a 2 class SEN base. The project is currently at Stage 2a – Developed Design, where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: 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 Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply Panel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My officials have advised me that an application for Home Tuition in respect of the student referred to by the Deputy has not yet been received. The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. Home tuition is not an alternative to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has reached agreement in principle with the relevant landowner for the acquisition of the site referred to by the Deputy. It is intended that this site will facilitate the construction of three schools as part of a campus development. In tandem with the site acquisition, my Department is finalising the accommodation briefs for the three schools. This will facilitate the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I am keenly aware of the huge contribution made by all Principals in our schools, including teaching principals. The COVID-19 supports provided under The Roadmap for the Full Return to School in 2020, included specific funding to support Principals who undertake teaching duties in primary schools. This funding provided each teaching principal with a minimum of one release day per week....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Circulars were recently issued by my Department in relation to a pay increase for public servants under the national agreement “Building Momentum” which was agreed between the Government and ICTU. Building Momentum includes a 1% increase for public servants from 1 October 2021 and the circulars were issued to inform schools and other public bodies of the new pay rates....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Nov 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 the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question has applied for an External Environments Project under Category 10 of the Summer Works Scheme, this Category has not yet been reached for assessment. The Summer Works Scheme which launched in 2019 is a multi-annual scheme whereby all applications made in June 2019 are held in the system for consideration under future rounds of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Infrastructure (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Through the Schools Broadband Programme, the policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and within financial constraints. Currently investment of some €13m is allocated annually for the provision of internet connectivity to schools. Broadband capacity can vary across geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. My Department has an ongoing close working relationship with the Department of Health and the HSE throughout the period of the pandemic in the context of implementing important infection prevention control measures in schools to ensure that they can operate safely. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, a major building project to construct permanent accommodation for the school in question is included in the Department’s school building programme. When constructed, the new school will provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils and will also include a special education needs base. The building project is currently at Stage 3 of the architectural planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Funding provided to schools by my Department is in respect of education provision at primary and post-primary level. Schools may access funding from other government departments and Local Authorities, from their own resources or from other sources in respect of facilities provided by the school for their own use or the use of the wider community. My Department in consultation with the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (9 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 of the programme to further schools. This package follows an extensive body of work...