Results 9,121-9,140 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: That is grand. For the reasons outlined, I cannot accept amendment No. 7. On amendment No. 8, when the section 37A process is being used, it must be open and transparent. This is important for everyone involved. Openness and transparency must be at the heart of it for the schools involved and, in particular, for the parents of children and young people with special educational needs, their...

Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies for the points they have raised and for the amendments they have put forward. I absolutely accept in good faith the manner in which they were all made. I think we have a shared objective here, which is to realise the maximum potential for all students, and in this instance, particularly for students with additional needs, and the provision of special classes or...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. In March I announced, as she outlined, a major extension of the DEIS programme, which means that for the first time since 2017 the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This is the largest ever single investment in the programme, at a cost of €32 million, and will...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy's concerns. The extension of the DEIS programme has been significant. The programme for Government committed to completing the new DEIS identification model and to extending DEIS status to those schools that serve the highest concentration of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage. It is important to say that the extension of the DEIS programme to new schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: The terms and conditions of employment of teachers in Ireland, who are paid out of monies provided by the Oireachtas, are a matter for the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). This Council is comprised of representatives of the teacher unions, school management bodies, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of Education chaired by an Official of the Workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is not aware of any former county managers or CEOs of local authorities currently working in the Department. However, such information regarding the employment history of employees of the Department is not collated, or reported on, by my Department. The requested information in respect of persons working in the Department’s aegis bodies is not held by my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm that the application for the school in question was reviewed and additional funding has been provided to enable the school authority to appoint a contractor and proceed with the approved works.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the appointment of a board of management of a school is a matter for the relevant school patron. Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, a patron may appoint a person or persons to manage the school in circumstances where the appointment of a Board is not practicable. In the case of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Jul 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. The cost in 2021 was over €289m. Under the terms of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Jul 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. The cost in 2021 was over €289m. Under the terms of the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is aware of some local pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas across the country. However, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department takes the issue of cyber security very seriously. The Information Communications Technology Unit takes a whole-of-team approach to protect my Department's data and IT systems. Departmental staff are supported in this function by IT security vendors and third-party support companies. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which is located within the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Jul 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Jul 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: The Framework for Junior Cycle presents a dual approach to assessment that supports student learning over the three years of Junior Cycle and also measures achievement at the end of those three years. This dual approach reduces the focus on one externally assessed examination as a means of assessing students and increases the prominence given to formative assessment. The three-year Junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (6 Jul 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 various related functions and includes salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, development of school infrastructure, capitation funding, grant payments to Education and Training Boards and a range of programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department specifies the minimum entry requirements in the core subjects: Irish, English and Mathematics for entry into primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes to ensure that primary teachers have the capacity to lead in these significant areas of student learning. All candidates, including school leavers, mature students and university graduates must hold the required...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: Please find attached requested information for primary and post-primary schools in Longford and Westmeath, including enrolments, teachers, SNAs and funding from the Department. Please note data is for academic year 2020-2021 the last year we have final enrolment and teacher allocation data for. The data regarding SNAs and number of teachers in special schools is sourced from the NCSE and is...