Results 7,621-7,640 of 19,601 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and for various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: On 17 February 2022, NPHET reviewed the remaining public health measures including the infection prevention control measures and restrictions in school settings.   Having closely considered relevant epidemiological data and other matters as set out in their letter of 17 February 2022, the Government accepted the recommendation of the NPHET to remove remaining restriction relating to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school to which he refers was approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme to address issues in relation to their play areas and paths.  The Emergency Works Team are awaiting a tender report from the school, which once received will be assessed and if it is in order the school will be granted permission to appoint the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: 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 of over €289m in 2021.  The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification. My Department’s Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification. My Department’s Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (9 Mar 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 areas and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: Today, I announced the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools. This will add an additional €32million to the Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023. This is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend additional resources to those schools most in need. For the first time since 2017 the DEIS programme is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: As announced last week the proposal offered relates only to school secretaries at present. As set out in the framework agreement of 14 September 2021, while there is agreement in principle to take the same approach to the consideration of appropriate pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers there remains a deficit of data on working terms and conditions of such staff. Should the proposal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (9 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: With respect to the transfer of this land, the current position is that the Heads of Terms for the contract are being finalised by my Department with the Health Service Executive (HSE). As this is a Minister owned site consent for disposal is being sought from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department will progress as quickly as possible the disposal of this particular...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Status (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I was very pleased yesterday to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS programme. For the first time, we are now seeing a considerable expansion of the programme, which will mean that a significant number of schools will benefit from the €32 million investment. In fact, it will mean that 310 schools will be provided for in the DEIS programme, which will mean that 25% of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Status (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to finish on the appeals process. I acknowledge that many schools were very pleased yesterday. The Deputy was gracious enough to include a reference to the schools in his constituency. I also appreciate there were schools that did not make the DEIS status yesterday. I want to be very clear that the model employed, that is, the Pobal HP deprivation index, is very clear and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Status (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I want to be very clear at the outset that the consultation actually predated me.There has been and, even in my own term, there continues to be engagement with the partners in education and the stakeholders of education.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Status (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I am not finished yet. I gave an absolute commitment to the Deputy that he would be fully briefed in advance of me making any public announcement in relation to DEIS. That was facilitated yesterday. It was facilitated by experts and by officials from my own Department. Indeed, I was there also. On the availability of information, every step of the way the information has been made...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Status (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: -----and that the model would be perfectly and expertly explained to him. All of that did happen in advance of any public announcement.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post-primary schools within the free education system in order to provide assistance for books, including book rental schemes. Under this scheme, my Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. Schools that are participating in the Department's DEIS programme receive an enhanced rate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: Again, I want to say very clearly that many of the points the Deputy makes are being acknowledged by the Department. There is a strong vision within the Department. Hence, we have a very significant roll-out of the pilot scheme. It is only right and proper that before we would advance, we would have a significant pilot in place and we would have an opportunity to evaluate it so we can see...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I reiterate that the pilot runs for this school year. At that point, we will take a look at how the pilot has worked. In conjunction with that, we will roll out €20 million into our schools to make additional books and reading supports available in our schools. There is a significant book rental scheme. I know the Deputy has not taken the value of that on board. I think it is a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (10 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: No, I just want to conclude. We know that more than 96% of our primary schools are availing of the book rental scheme. That is a significant provision in our schools. It is actually being supported by the Department of Education from a financial point of view as well. I want to be clear that there is no single measure being offered within the schools. There is a multiplicity of measures...