Results 6,841-6,860 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Dec 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 30th September. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools have been provided with class teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice.  The infection prevention and control measures in place in schools have worked very effectively to prevent and control Covid-19 in schools.  The Department will continue to work closely with public health officials and the education stakeholders in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 421, inclusive, together. To provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor worksfunding of €17m for post-primary schools, was recently announced. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question for major capital works comprising of a new school building. Under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a building project for the school to which he refers, is being devolved for delivery to the Joint Managerial Body (JMB). The brief for this project includes the extension, refurbishment and re-purposing of existing accommodation to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment (LTPE) figure of 750 pupils and also...

Covid-19: Statements (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to be here today with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to provide the House with an update on the important measures that we have taken to address the continuing the impact of Covid-19 on the educational experience of our children and young people. The operation of schools has been and continues to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to be here this morning together with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan and officials from my Department. I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to speak to members and for its consideration of my Department’s Supplementary Estimate for 2021. Following approval by the Government, my Department is seeking a net Supplementary Estimate of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the great work of your committee, a Chathaoirligh, on an ongoing basis and in a variety of capacities, specifically on senior cycle reform but also on the myriad of other issues you pursue and your helpful co-operation and collaboration with my Department in that regard. As for senior cycle reform specifically, I acknowledge the enormous body of work the NCCA has undertaken, a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's question. The education sector consistently and without fault has always followed the public health advice. I have said regularly that I hope that it has come as an assurance to parents and guardians and our students and our staff in the entire school sector that when public health advice becomes available, we have always followed it. The nature of Covid has meant...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. There is clear guidance to the effect that where it is not appropriate for a child to wear a mask, which can be for a variety of reasons, he or she will not be required to do so. We are very clear about that. If there is a specific issue regarding which wearing a mask would disadvantage a child in the way the Deputy has outlined, such as an issue concerning speech or...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I have to finish this because it is important. The group has acknowledged that there is a place for HEPA filtration. Equally, it stated that, in the longer term-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: -----improvements to ventilation should be made to ensure adequate outdoor air ventilation. That is exactly what we are doing in the schools on a case-by-case basis. The Deputy should rest assured about that.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: Specifically on the senior cycle, I appreciate the valuable contribution of the committee. It can be assured that the work will be expedited as quickly as possible. On T1 and T2, the consultation concluded only two days ago, on 30 November. That will be part of the consideration. It is important that there was an opportunity to have the widest possible consultation in advance of a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy and I appreciate his comments. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and I are adamant that keeping our schools open is an absolute priority for us. It is a priority for the Government, and the Deputy is correct that it is a priority also for wider society. If we have learned anything through Covid, we have learned of the need to keep the schools open, and that children...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, might like to come in here also. I acknowledge that significant funding is being made available for the hire of school transport and given the necessity for sanitisation and so on. We are very cognisant of the need for all of that to be implemented and to be implemented well in our systems. We have made the provision and it is up...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I refer to some of the other issues the Deputy raised. In relation to the HSE and contact tracing in Dublin, he will have seen that is a public health decision. The public health authorities have made various decisions at various times on operational matters. They made decisions in late September on the operation of full contact tracing within our schools. At that point we had thousands...