Results 1,101-1,120 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The calculated grades process was first mooted - and I need to give the Deputy this context - by parents and students. There was further engagement with the partners in education, including teachers, managerial bodies, principals and deputy principals. It was an agreed approach. Following this, how that mechanism would work was agreed. I suggest that in all of the documentation on the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for the question. The €375 million which, by the time we have finished will be in excess of this and passed the €400 million mark, has been universally acknowledged as a huge endorsement and resource for the education sector. I have visited many schools and this has been the universal opinion of those whom I have met. It far exceeds what many Members of the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I will be brief. I must reiterate that the guidance that we received was written by public health officials rather than by us. The wording the Deputy might take exception to was not written by officials in the Department. It was written by public health officials and we are abiding by that. On school transport, I must reiterate that our arrangement is with Bus Éireann and we are...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct in that we have made a fund of €11.3 million available to Bus Éireann for the additional safety measures that will be required on buses, that is, PPE, hand sanitiser and the cleaning down of the vehicles, as the Deputy said. We continue to engage with Bus Éireann on this and other issues. Where matters need to be reviewed, we will review them. That is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Everything is being reviewed on an ongoing basis. Regarding the private bus operators, I reiterate that our contract is with Bus Éireann, which may choose to subcontract where necessary. On our buses that cover the official school transport system, we are operating on the basis of the NPHET guidelines and rolling out measures for post-primary in respect of those guidelines. That is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: That is fine.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I ask that the Deputy leave the details of the two schools to which he referred with me and the Department will look at those specific cases. I reiterate that there has been superb engagement with schools on the ground. We have received between 3,000 and 4,000 calls to our helpline and thousands of emails. There has been very good engagement. Where difficulties have arisen, I am very...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. On the issue she has raised in respect of the bus service, the specific case she has mentioned is exceptional. I would appreciate it if the Deputy would bring details of any such exceptional cases, such as where somebody has been ill, to us. If there is availability of space on the bus, these children will certainly be catered for. There will always exceptional...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The cleaning grant in a Covid context provides dedicated funding for an additional four to six hours cleaning per week in the school. That is a singular funding in a Covid environment that is being made available to the schools.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I am not aware of that. If there is a particular individual case that the Deputy would like to bring to my attention, I will certainly ask my officials to take a look at it. Again, I must say that the resources being made available for cleaning in schools is substantial. We are talking in terms of tens of millions in order that schools will have the opportunity to have a minimum of between...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I will deal first with the issue the Deputy raised about young people. We have been very clear within the Department and used a variety of different means to speak with the young people in our care. A variety of videos, for example, have been issued. They include animations for the younger children and more age-appropriate material for older children and those at second level. We have...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: That is fine. He might communicate them to us directly and we will do that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: That is perfect.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. On the substitution panels, as I have said, we have taken great confidence from the fact that the pilots worked very well in the six areas where they were rolled out. This success has given us confidence. Almost 101 panels have been rolled out at this stage. This is in addition to resources that schools might already have in the pools from which they traditionally draw...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Yes, that is perfect.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The advice came from the HPSC.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: It has been published.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Absolutely. If a student has a particular medical or sensory issue, there is an exemption at second level.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Those percentages are a reference to the grades and not the students. I will allow Dr. Hislop to answer the question.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Cathaoirleach. The substantial funding, which at this stage will be in excess of €400 million, has gone directly into the Department of Education and Skills for these present measures, many of which we have discussed here today, and indeed will be on an ongoing basis. It is a statement of the importance that is being placed on the education sector by this Government. It...