Results 9,261-9,280 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Education Policy (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: Gross expenditure in the order of €121 million was incurred by my Department on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools in the 2020/2021 school year. Capital supports (building-related and ICT grants) are also available to such schools and these totalled over €1.6 million in 2021. In addition, specific...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: National Educational Psychological Service (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme for the purchase of accommodation for its Special Education Needs (SEN) Base. As this is a Devolved project, the first step for the school authorities to undertake was to appoint a consultant to lead the project on its behalf and to source a supplier of the required...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: School Staff (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our schools. I am fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools and I support fully this important agreement which will improve their terms and conditions. The majority of primary and post-primary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial services under grant schemes. Where a...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of all building projects included in the Department's school building programme is listed on a county by county basis on my Department's website at www.gov.ie. This is updated regularly to reflect the progress of the projects through the architectural planning process through to construction stage.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Disadvantaged Status (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I announced a major expansion of the DEIS 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 is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest proportions of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Disadvantaged Status (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I announced a major expansion of the DEIS 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 is the largest ever single investment in the programme and will extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest proportions of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department can confirm that the assigned certifier for the school to which the Deputy refers uploaded the documentation for BCAR (Building Control Amendment Regulations) on the 11th July, 2022. Confirmation of certification is awaited.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: School Costs (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: As Minister, I am very conscious of the pressure faced by families with respect to living costs and back to school costs. In relation to school uniforms, my Department’s Circular 0032/2017 sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school. Under these measures, schools are required to select school uniform...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is examining all options in determining a solution to the permanent accommodation needs of the school in question. In order to better inform these deliberations, my Department has undertaken a site identification process in the greater Bray area. The site identification process has identified one site with some potential. However to advance to negotiations, my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: School Inspections (14 Jul 2022)

Norma Foley: It is the Department's intention to undertake a site visit to the school in question and contact will be made with the school authorities in this regard in the coming weeks.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Transport (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senators for raising these matters. Before I address the specific issues raised, I will provide an outline of the significant extent of the school transport scheme which provides transport on a daily basis for tens of thousands of children across the country to mainstream and special education settings. The purpose of the school transport scheme is, having regard to available...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Transport (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to be clear, and it is important to note, that when the announcement was made, it was made in respect of those who avail of the school transport system and are eligible for it. There was no change of criteria in that respect. It was made very clear that the announcement was for those who were eligible for the school transport scheme. It is significant to note the numbers. This time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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 School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is advancing through the tender process. Subject to no issues arising, it is currently envisaged that works could commence in Quarter 4 with a completion timeframe of approximately 18 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: It is intended that the school referred to by the Deputy will relocate to an existing school building currently occupied on an interim basis by a special school while awaiting the construction of a building project for their school. In this regard, the tender process for the special school building project is ongoing and it is currently envisaged that works could commence in Quarter 4 of 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. In July 2022, Government announced...