Results 961-980 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme.  This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand and also provides for an additional focus on the refurbishment of existing school buildings to include the building and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.    In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm for the Deputy that Clare County Council are currently finalising the legal conveyancing on a plot of land in the centre of Kilrush which was acquired from a third party landowner. Once this process is completed Clare County Council will undertake a transfer of the site for the school to my Department in accordance with the protocols for the transfer of state...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On Monday of this week, 27 July, I announced a roadmap for reopening our schools fully at the start of the upcoming school year. This roadmap includes a wide range of information and guidance for schools including public health advice, COVID-19 response plans for schools as well as curriculum and assessment changes. Notwithstanding the best efforts of teachers and schools to engage students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In late 2016, the Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) commenced an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established. As part of the first phase of the review the NCCA conducted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government contains a  commitment to establish a new Education Research and Policy Section within my Department, which will be  tasked with ensuring that educational policy development in Ireland is informed by a strong evidence base, is outcomes focused, and cognisant of best international practices. The arrangements for the establishment of the section are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision to enrol a child in a special class is made by parents in conjunction with the child, the NCSE's local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) and local schools. This decision must be supported by a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals. This can be a difficult decision and parents should have access to objective and comprehensive information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: There is currently a project under the Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme which has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. This project, which proceeded to site last summer, provides, inter alia, for 8 general classrooms, guidance rooms, special education needs classrooms, computer rooms, a staff room, a general purpose room, a science lab, and ancillary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.  In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Students who are renting private accommodation under a lease are entitled to the same legal protections as any other tenant. Tenant rights are set out in the Residential Tenancies Act (2004, as amended). Information on tenant rights and responsibilities are available on the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) website www.rtb.ie. Student accommodation license terms...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cycle to Work Scheme (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am glad to inform the Deputy that the cycle to work scheme is available to school staff who are paid by my Department's School Payroll Division. The scheme was deferred for a number of weeks in May 2020 but has been reopened for applications since the 8th of June 2020. I would encourage school staff who wish to avail of the scheme to submit their cycle to work applications at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The information requested is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy.  My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In response to the COVID 19 emergency, the Further Education and Training (FET) sector has demonstrated a swift and appropriate response.  In their short-term contingency planning, providers have made provision for the current cohort of learners engaged in their programmes and who are nearing completion of their awards, with adjusted teaching strategies and alternative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Services Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools.   In Budget 2020 the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools was increased, allowing schools with enrolments of 500-625 to fill secretary vacancies provided they have fewer than 1.5 secretaries; schools with enrolments of 626-699 to fill...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that my Department published the report, “Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School” and announce a funding package of more than €370 million for primary and post primary schools to supports its implementation. €53m has been provided for additional teaching and guidance posts in post-primary schools. 1000...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware my Department this week published the report "Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School" which is available on the Department's website. This Roadmap sets out 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware the acquisition of a suitable site to provide new school accommodation has proved to be extremely challenging to date. Donegal County Council, acting on behalf of my Department under the Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of school sites are pursuing all potential options for the provision of the required school accommodation.  A preferred site...