Results 6,641-6,660 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Planning for the 2022 State Examinations is assisted by engagement with a range of education stakeholders. This includes an Advisory Group on Planning for the State Examinations. The group was originally established to provide advice in relation to the 2020 State Examinations, following the announcement of school closures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is chaired jointly by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: There are currently approximately 430 teachers on secondment for 2021/2022. The Secondment Scheme for teachers is set out in Circular Letter 0029/2018. It provides an arrangement for an external organisation to meet a specialised human resource requirement through the temporary assignment of a teacher where that need cannot be effectively met through the normal appointment process. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) support service is funded by my Department and has responsibility for delivering continuous professional development (CPD) supports to teachers and school leaders in areas of curriculum and policy at Primary and Senior Cycle levels. The PDST team comprises seconded, practising teachers augmented by team leaders, local facilitators and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Parents and Guardians of a primary school child, who is a confirmed case of COVID-19 following a PCR test, will be asked to inform their school’s principal. The school principal will then inform the parents of other children in the pod of a confirmed case. No personal details of the child will be shared. Where there are two cases in a class in more than one pod within a seven days...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to Schools) Act, 2018, prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school. Voluntary contributions are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: A revised ex gratia scheme to implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in O'Keeffe v Ireland, which concerned sexual abuse in day schools, is now open for applications. The Scheme, which was developed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, provides for ex gratia payments to be made to those who qualify to apply for the Scheme and who satisfy the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department understands that the educational welfare officer in this area was not based solely in the school referred to by the Deputy. The educational welfare officer was based in the Tusla local office and provided services to a number of schools in the area. The staff member has transferred to a different post within the service and recruitment of a educational welfare officer for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Insurance (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: A member of my payroll has been in contact with the individual referred to regarding this issue. The individual referred to first commenced on the Department’s Non-Teaching Staff (NTS) Payroll in October 2020. They received payment for work carried out as both a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) and as a tutor under the Home Tuition Programme. As the first claim processed was related...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy recently completed Stage 2(b) Detailed Design and was authorised to proceed to tender stage on 27th October. A Tender stage normally takes between 6-8 months to complete. The project is expected to commence on site in Quarter 2 of 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: This project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. The Stage 2(b) report has been reviewed and the Design Team has carried out a final review of all tender documentation and provided my Department with Design Team Confirmations that this final review has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. An application for planning permission for a 1,000 pupil post-primary school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Stage 2(b) report has been reviewed and the Design Team have submitted the Design Team Confirmations. The Design Team has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. The final grant of planning permission for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for 2 general classrooms, 2 standard WC’s, 1 WC for Assisted Users, 1 SET room & replacement of prefabs for 2 General classrooms & 2 Standard WC’s. A Stage 1/2A report was submitted in June 2020 and was reviewed by my Department's Senior Quantity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The school building project to which the Deputy refers has been approved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2019 to enable the school to build a two-classroom SEN Base. Approval to progress this project to Tender Stage issued in June 2021. The project has been devolved for delivery to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board (DDLETB). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding under my Additional Accommodation Scheme to purchase modular accommodation containing seven classrooms, one science room and one technology room. This project was devolved to Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) for delivery. The project was approved to construction in June 2018 and has since been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has been in contact with the patron of the school in question and it has been agreed to increase the enrolment capacity of the school to 1,000 pupils. My Department has already approved interim accommodation for this purpose and this devolved project is currently at construction stage. My Department is engaging with the patron of the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 367 together. As the Deputy may be aware, the decision-making authority in respect of the status of existing schools, including whether they are single or mixed gender, belongs to the Patron, subject to the agreement of my Department. New schools are established by my Department to meet demographic need and, generally, such new school provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 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. Under the terms of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education has always been guided by public health advice in relation to appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures in place in schools. These measures protect students, their parents and school staff and are very effective. Public Health continue to advise that the two most important actions to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 (and...