Results 7,221-7,240 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 Feb 2022)

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: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy is not designated as a Junior School and Senior School.  The location of the SEN Unit will be determined as part of the design process for the new school extension.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (1 Feb 2022)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Workplace Relations Commission (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life.  This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.  The Review made a number of recommendations regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Under Article 44 of the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction classes if they so wish.  It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request. Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, where schools provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to appropriate COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures in place in schools. Public Health continue to advise that the two most important actions to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 (and other respiratory viruses), is by ensuring no-one with new onset symptoms attend school, and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has a centralised system, known as the Online Claims System (OLCS) which records absences, including COVID-19 related absences for teachers and non-teaching staff who are employed in recognised primary, secondary and, community and comprehensive schools.  Absences for teachers employed in ETB schools are not recorded on the OLCS, as they have their own separate payroll...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 470 to 472, inclusive, together. School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The current policy of the Department of Education is not to endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support the teaching of subjects.  There are limited exceptions where my Department has procured textbooks or resources in order to fill a specific and urgent need e.g. educational material in braille. Such supports for the production of learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Feb 2022)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: 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 Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. The updated guidance for schools is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The project for Greystones Community College is in the early architectural planning stage which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of the application for Planning Permission.  As part of the conditions of sale, the lodgement of the application for planning permission for the project is under the remit of the vendor. The Department has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The issuing of Single Pension Scheme statements is being progressed by my Department at present. It is intended that Annual Benefit Statements will issue to members in line with the SPS legislation from 2022 onwards.   For members of the pre-existing pension schemes, requests for statements are dealt with on a priority basis including ill-health and family law issues as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the Supreme Court delivered its judgments on January 24th last in the appeals the appeals taken in these cases. It is important to highlight that the students concerned were provided with calculated grades in 2020 following the initial High Court rulings in their cases. The appeals brought initially to the Court of Appeal and subsequently to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Island Communities (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department implemented the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The outcome of which was that many allowances were no longer payable to many new public service entrants including “new entrant” teachers. Circular 8 of 2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established, by my Department, on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, agreement in principle had been reached to acquire a site for the permanent location of the school in question. Contracts for sale have now been signed, conditional on the landowner providing required infrastructure upgrades to serve the site. The project to provide the permanent building for the school referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The details of sections of Acts under my Department's auspices which have not been commenced  are set out in the table below. Act Section(s) Details Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 Sections 9 (67-70), 12 (b) Section 12(b) – repeal of section 10 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Over the past number of years, my Department has been working on issues related to teacher supply in primary and post-primary schools. This work is led by the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. The technical report prepared by my Department ‘Developing a Teacher Demand and Supply Model for Ireland 2020-2038’ outlines the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question were approved funding for the installation of a lift under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme in September 2021, as this is a Devolved Scheme the responsibility for progressing the works lies with the school authority. The Emergency Works Team have contacted the school for an update and have been informed that a...