Results 761-780 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The number one priority for my Department and the wider schools sector is to re-open our schools as fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year. Notwithstanding my Department’s overall objective, the Department will continue to work with the education partners to address challenges where digital and remote learning options may not be possible. Information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Briefing (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department provided a comprehensive briefing document to me on my appointment as Minister. The Deputy may wish to note that, in accordance with established practice, the briefing document provided to me will be published on the Department's website in the coming weeks and will then be available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area has recently been completed and my Department is satisfied that a site extension is not required for the school in question based on this analysis and given that spare capacity already exist in other schools in the school planning area.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The number one priority for my Department and the wider schools sector is to re-open our schools as fully and safely at the start of the new school year. The interests of students and their families, as well as the safety of staff in our schools, are at the centre of our work as we consider the various challenges associated with that aim. The re-opening of our schools will be guided by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I have had no contact from either Letterkenny Insititute of Technology or the Derry University Group. However, this is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovationan and Science, and all contacts should be directed to Minister Harris.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Please find below requested figures for numbers of classes with 25, 28 & 30 children or more. The table also includes total enrolments for classes with 25, 28 & 30 children or more.   Please note these figures are for mainstream classes in mainstream schools and are for the 2019/20 Academic Year. Academic Year 2019/2020 Class Size Number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of schools with kitchen/canteen facilities or those without such facilities. My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In the 2019/20 school year there were 3,106 mainstream primary schools of which 690 were participating in the DEIS Programme. Each 1 point adjustment to the overall primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €4.7m in the first year and €14.4m for the full year. As the Deputy is aware, currently only Urban Band 1 schools have a reduced pupil teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Over the 2019/20 school year my Department spent in the region of €125 million across 890 schools participating in the DEIS programme, serving in excess of 185,000 children. The full list of supports available to DEIS schools is available on my Department's website at the following link   Further expenditure is incurred on the School Meals Programme by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the average salary cost for one Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator position based on mid point of the salary scale is circa €55,500. Currently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the HSCL Scheme. The scheme is delivered by 415 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools.  For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level.  Budget 2020 has provided for a budget of more than €11 billion for the Department of Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

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 €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

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 €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

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 €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Yesterday, the 27thJuly, my Department published the report to Government “Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School”.   This Roadmap set outs how schools will reopen for all students from the end of August and what the operation of our schools will look like and be sustainable in a COVID-19 context.  It has been developed in line with public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures in this area.  In relation to fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science recently secured Cabinet approval for a substantial package of supports for third level institutions and students. The distribution of the funds and the principles and eligibility criteria governing the additional supports for students including in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 516, 517 and 520 together. On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of - A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education; - A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student.  It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means.  Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates.  The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of - A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education; - A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and support for further and higher education institutions and...