Results 6,381-6,400 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (18 Nov 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 Transport (18 Nov 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. The purpose of the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: There are 5 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) providing primary Initial Teaching Education (ITE) in Ireland, four State-funded and one private provider.   Each of the State-funded providers has both concurrent (undergraduate) and consecutive (postgraduate) programmes:   - DCU Institute of Education.  - Marino Institute of Education.  - Maynooth University (Froebel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 251, 252 and 253 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. Clarification is being sought from the Deputy on the detail required. The information will then be compiled and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Environmental Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I understand that the proposal in question relates to Coillte lands and would therefore suggest that the students might direct their proposal to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the first instance.  My Department would be happy to discuss with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine what support we might be able to offer in terms of connecting with schools,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Tá mo Roinn tiomanta do chur chun cinn an oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge sa chóras oideachais trí forbairt a dhéanamh ar pholasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh de cheantair Ghaeltachta, mar aon le cur i bhfeidhm leanúnach rathúil an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta. Beidh forbairt an pholasaí nua don oideachas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (18 Nov 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: State Examinations (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has plans to develop additional resources to support the changes made to the Leaving Certificate Politics and Society curriculum. The time for the  development of these resources, which were planned to be published in the second quarter of this year, has been impacted by the requirement to assign a number of NCCA staff to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (18 Nov 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 Funding (18 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for funding under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme which combined both of the projects mentioned above, this was approved on the 12th of October. The school can access the approval letter and appendices under the Devolved Projects tab of their Esinet portal.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Ensuring schools can operate safely has been a key priority for me as Minister for Education. My Department has always been guided by public health advice on appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures in our schools. These measures protect students, their parents and school staff and are effective. Public health advice is that the two most important actions to prevent...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: At the outset I want to be very clear that we have followed public health advice and guidance in our schools. It is the expert view of public health officials that our schools are places of low transmission, largely because of the very significant and substantial infection prevention and control measures that are in place in schools. Specifically on the points made by the Deputy on CO2...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Again, to reiterate, at the risk of repeating myself, we follow best practice public health advice in our schools. Indeed, that is what we have done in wider society also. The Deputy is aware it is the expert judgment of the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, that there is now a role for antigen testing in our schools and the HSE has been charged with the responsibility of rolling that out. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Reform (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the question and the sincerity with which it is put. The Deputy may be aware that, between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways. The NCCA’s advisory report on the senior cycle has been submitted to my Department for consideration and will be published once...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Reform (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the point the Deputy made. Covid has focused our lens even more closely on how the leaving certificate and senior cycle operates. To be fair, the entire review involves all of the senior cycle, and, therefore, includes the leaving certificate applied, the leaving certificate established and the leaving certificate vocational programme. We are also referring to the transition...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Reform (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the points the Deputy has made and the urgency with which he views the question. The review was four years in the making and involves a considerable body of work. There was the widest consultation, rightly, with all the partners in education – parents, teachers, wider society, obviously students as well, and also the views and experiences of experts from other...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I am the first to acknowledge that these have been difficult and challenging times, not just currently but throughout the pandemic, for all school leaders and all school communities. There has been an extraordinary generosity by school leaders and school communities to do what needs to be done in the delivery of education and to pivot in other directions when it was not possible to maintain...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. No single measure is sufficient of itself to meet the challenges that are particularly acute in some areas. I have referenced the fact that those who are on secondment, in particular those who are on secondment to the professional development service for teachers, PDST, will be released and made available. That is an important measure. It is important to say also...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: To clarify with regard to substitution, a whole myriad of measures are being made available to schools, not one single measure. In terms of special education specifically, it is very important that children who need to avail of particular supports because they have particular special educational challenges should receive that support at the time they are scheduled to receive it. I do not...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Tests (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the question. The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. A range of measures have been implemented across schools, including social distancing, enhanced cleaning and, as the Deputy will be aware, mask wearing in some settings for students and in all settings for staff. As of 27 September 2021,...