Results 7,261-7,280 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the Board of Management of the school. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) was issued to the Board of Management in December 2020. The Board is currently in the process of procuring a Design Team for the project. Thereafter, it will ensure that the project progresses to design stage,...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across...

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

Norma Foley: The patron of the school referred to by the Deputy appointed a Consultant to undertake an Options Study of the property in question. The Options Study has been completed and the patron recently furnished a copy to my Department. This will be considered and my Department will engage with the patron when this process has been completed.

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers was devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The school was delivered as part of a campus development. The main school buildings of the project were made available for occupation on the 22ndDecember 2020 to the school. The shared PE facility was made available for occupation on the 1stSeptember 2021 to the school...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers was devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The school was delivered as part of a campus development. The main school buildings of the project were made available for occupation on the 22ndDecember 2020 to the school. The shared PE facility was made available for occupation on the 1stSeptember 2021 to the school...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the delivery of the project referred to has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The Design Team for the project is currently working to a programme for substantial completion in February of this year. The Department recently held a meeting with KWETB and the Design Team in order to work towards the...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. This project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural planning process. Once the Stage Report submission is approved by my Department, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the statutory...

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

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school...

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). Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.  At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. The current allocation is on an average ratio of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils.  Budget 2022 has implemented a further 1...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). This project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural planning process. Once the Stage Report submission is approved by my Department, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the statutory planning approvals. ...

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

Norma Foley: Coming from a rural background, I am very much aware of the huge importance of small schools to communities across Ireland and I have asked my Department to work with the education partners to examine ways to support such schools in their communities and to ensure a more sustainable future for them. In general, small schools are considered to be schools with four teachers or less. ...

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

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on...

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

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to schools) act 2018, provides an over-arching framework for greater transparency and consistency in school enrolment generally, provides that schools must accept all applications unless oversubscribed, and gives greater confidence to parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools and the procedures used by them are legitimate, reasonable and fair. The...

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

Norma Foley: Transition Year programmes are designed at school level and based on a multi-layered approach. Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In developing a programme schools are advised to take into consideration students’ needs, parents’ views, employers and the wider interests of the local...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is guided by Public Health as to the mitigation measures needed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our schools.  The aim of all of the Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures that have been put in place for schools is to support schools to operate safely and prevent the introduction of Covid-19 and also the onward of transmission of Covid-19 among the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (2 Feb 2022)

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 to additional schools.  This package follows an extensive body of work which has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (2 Feb 2022)

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 to additional schools. This package follows an extensive body of work which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school authority referred to by the Deputy.   The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each...