Results 7,301-7,320 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (3 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is in discussions with the HSE regarding the disposal of a site to the HSE, which is part of an existing school site, for the development of a primary care centre. The proposals being discussed are to include the provision of facilities for use by the school. The details of this proposal are currently being finalised by my Department with the HSE. When the details are finalised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (3 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (3 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I would like to assure the Deputy that the provision of accommodation for pupils with special education needs is a priority for my Department and my officials are aware of the pressing requirement for the provision of post primary classes for pupils with special education needs in Ballincollig. My Department has considered all options for the September 2022 interim accommodation for the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Land Issues (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputies Ó Broin, Ward, Gino Kenny and Higgins for providing me the opportunity to update the House on the transfer of lands and the provision of a primary healthcare facility at Collinstown Park Community College in Clondalkin. I acknowledge that there is unanimity among the Deputies and I appreciate the passion with which they speak and the necessity for their constituents. ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Land Issues (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to be clear, as there is no ambiguity in this. To be fair, I have had a short amount of time to move this project along. It is a progressive and positive step, and should be acknowledged as such, that the disposal of the site for the development of the primary care centre will proceed separately from the delivery of facilities to the school. This means that there is now the impetus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Boards of Management of schools are the direct employers of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). My Department provides Paymaster support to schools. SNAs can be contracted to work up to a maximum of 39 hours per week and are usually contracted to work for a school year which begins on 1stSeptember and finishes the following 31stAugust. As such, SNAs are paid on the basis of an annual salary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council’s Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. Budget 2020 provided for the re-instatement of the grant to cover the full cost of the Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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 of over €289m in 2021. Under the terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, 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. The Advisory Report maps out, in broad terms, an ambitious programme of work, which would enable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: In recent weeks, I have attended a meeting with the Advisory Group on State Examinations, which has representatives of students, parents, teachers, school managerial bodies, the further and higher education sector, and the State Examinations Commission. Following on from this meeting, I met with the members of the advisory group on a bilateral basis and also had further engagement with each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department received a request for a change of status from the school in question from a single stream fully vertical, co-educational school to a two stream, fully vertical co-educational school from September 2022. As part of the assessment process, my Department has taken into account the demographic projections and current capacity for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 407, 409 and 410 together. Tá sé i gceist agam PQ 5951, 5953, 5955 & 5956 a thógáil le chéile. Is féidir liom a dheimhniú don Teachta, de réir mhír 7 de chiorclán 0052/2019 (Bunscoileanna) agus mír 8 de chiorclán 0053/2019 (Iar-bhunscoileanna), ina ndeirtear go ndéanfar...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 408 together. Tá sé i gceist agam PQ 5952 agus 5954 a thógáil le chéile. Tá na curaclaim Ghaeilge ag an mbunleibhéal agus ag an iar-bhunleibhéal ann do gach scoláire. Ina ainneoin sin, glactar leis go mbíonn cúinsí eisceachtúla ann ina bhféadfadh scoileanna breathnú maidir le...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2020. A Stage 1/2A report was submitted in January 2022 and is currently being reviewed by my Department's Professional & Technical team. Following completion of this review, my Department will revert to the school with a view to progressing the project through the stages...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Information in relation to consultancy expenditure by my Department is compiled annually and published online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills- expenditure-on-consultancy/ The data in respect of 2021 will be compiled in the 1st quarter of 2022 and will be published online as soon as it is available. In 2020, consultancy expenditure totalling €1,694 was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The position is that decisions on the use of school facilities lies with the relevant school authority in consultation with the property owner and priority has to be given to the interests of the school, teachers and pupils. My Department's policy is to encourage the use of school facilities, where possible, for community, training and education related activities such as homework clubs....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 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 advise that the antigen testing programme is available to special schools and special classes. As such, when a Principal of a special school is notified that a child who has been in school during the infectious...