Results 9,821-9,840 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I reiterate that we have seen an increase this year in the numbers who are eligible. We have also seen a 27% increase in the number of concessionary tickets offered this year compared with last year. It is a substantial increase. Notwithstanding that, the entire root-and-branch review will give us an opportunity to look at new opportunities into the future for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 143 together. I do not have the full reply as I did not think we would get to these questions. I apologise to the Deputy for that and will provide her with the updated data. I take the opportunity to say the work NEPS does is absolutely invaluable, as the Deputy will appreciate. We have increased the number of staff in the service in recent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate having the opportunity to confirm the Department has set up a high-level working group on this issue chaired by the Secretary General, which is a testament to the importance we are placing on how we advance the service provided by NEPS. The working group has agreed on a number of actions that will be taken. Following analysis of the various options that were laid out by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I do not disagree with the value and importance of the work, as I have said. I think it is a positive that we can say that the high level working group, which is chaired by the Secretary General, underlining the importance that we in the Department place upon it, is looking at a whole variety of opportunities going forward. Among those is the decision that has been taken to sponsor a cohort...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the single biggest expansion of the DEIS programme was announced by me recently, with an investment of €17 million, increasing to €32 million next year. We are very conscious of the benefit of the DEIS programme. All analysis and studies on the programme show that it makes a considerable impact in our schools. We have grown it to such an extent that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the point the Deputy has made. As I have outlined already, there is a detailed paper on the refined DEIS model, which is available on gov.ie. At its core, it is about identifying concentrated levels of disadvantage. That is the nub of it. I accept that schools may be in close proximity to one another, but they do not necessarily have the same cohort of students....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's point that one school in an area may be awarded DEIS status and another may not. However, because it is about concentrated disadvantage, that will be the case unless the other school absolutely mirrors school that is awarded DEIS status in terms of the entire student population. Again, I reiterate that a detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to the delivery of school building projects under the national development plan in Dublin Mid-West. To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's particular interest in all matters related to education. I acknowledge a fairly significant commitment in that there are more than 30 large-scale and additional school accommodation scheme projects currently at various stages of planning and delivery for the Dublin Mid-West area. That is a positive story to present this evening. I have taken the opportunity to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. The Deputy will appreciate that under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes the allocation of Garda resources. The Minister for Justice...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Again, on behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Minister would like to reassure him that Garda numbers have increased substantially in recent years, from 12,943 Garda members and 1,999 Garda staff in 2016 to 14,283 Garda members and 3,117 Garda staff at the end of August this year. This is an increase in gardaí of more than 10%. There has...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, I am presenting this information on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin. Primary support for the arts is delivered by the Arts Council. In 2022, the Minister allocated a record €130 million to the Arts Council. She was pleased to retain the €130 million in funding for the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. Again, this reply has been delivered by me on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. As outlined previously, primary support for the arts is delivered by the Arts Council. The topic raised by the Deputy asks that funding from the council for a gallery be extended to its in-house theatre. Under the Arts Act of 2003, the council is independent in its funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the 2021/2022school 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. The cost of the scheme in 2021 was €289m. Ticket registration for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 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. The cost of the scheme was €289m in 2021. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: You will be aware that the psychological service of my Department, NEPS, provides a much valued service to all primary and post-primary schools. The service provided by NEPS is broad, and encompasses a model that seeks to strengthen the overall capacity of the system to support the wellbeing, participation and inclusion of all children and young people in our schools, but particularly for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and how it currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families. The findings of the review will underpin future planning for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I very much value the work of all educational psychologists across the education system. As you are likely aware, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In March this year I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme. This means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme has been significantly expanded to an additional 322 schools. Those schools are now gaining access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional...