Results 11,181-11,200 of 19,660 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's acknowledgement that considerable progress has been made. The design team has been appointed and the project is currently at planning stage. These are all positive landmarks for the school community. The project was devolved to the ETB, which is charged with responsibility for informing the patrons of the progress of the project as it is ongoing. I acknowledge...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the excellence of education that is being delivered there every day. I also acknowledge the expectation of school communities that we would deliver as quickly as possible. From the point of view of the ETB, given that the project is devolved to it, there are particular steps that have to be taken, whether that is in terms of design, planning or whatever. It is positive that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes the 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 and school enrolment data, in addition to information on residential development activity, is used for this purpose....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Deputy's initial point was on the provision of places for pupils in Limerick. Specifically on that issue, recently over 100 additional places have been provided in Limerick, 44 of which have been provided in recent weeks. There is a school in a position to make provision for the 26 pupils the Deputy referred to. Principals on the ground, particularly the chair of the Limerick...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I do not have an issue with that. I appreciate the Deputy's graciousness in accepting that there has been considerable investment in Limerick city. I have had the privilege of witnessing much of the work. I visited on several occasions. I referred to post-primary schools but developments at primary level are equally important. At primary level, a project for a new 32-classroom school...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy's particular interest in the DEIS scheme. The Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, including DEIS schools and non-DEIS schools, to support the inclusion of all students and to address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the DEIS programme is a key policy initiative of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I will be clear. As I said, the key issue here is concentrated levels of disadvantage. I fully accept that there will always be children at risk of educational disadvantage in any school. I appreciate that. The specific supports that come with DEIS status are provided where there are concentrated levels of disadvantage. I accept the point the Deputy has raised about one school in a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I will first complete my answer on the question of educational disadvantage. I am very conscious of the need to ensure supports across all schools because there are children at risk of educational disadvantage across all schools. It is for this reason that, as I stated earlier, we have introduced a variety of different measures, including measures with regard to the pupil-teacher ratio, a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: While this review has been up and running we have, in the interim, introduced some measures. The Deputy specifically referenced the issue of the next-nearest school at post-primary level. That temporary alleviation measure was introduced for the 2021-22 school year and continued for 2022-23. There is a criterion for eligibility, namely, that students have to live within 3.2 km of their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: On the specific points raised regarding increased capacity, I will be very clear that there has been a 25% increase in capacity this year, which is an phenomenal increase. More than 25,600 additional places have been provided this year as a consequence of the scheme. That includes a 26% increase in provision for those with special educational needs. Everything is being looked at as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or refurbishment project is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to give an update on the review of my Department's 'Guidelines on the Use of School Buildings Outside of School Hours'. My Department has and will continue to support and encourage the use of school buildings for community purposes, where feasible, and this will remain a core feature of the guidelines. My Department first published the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for the Department. Additional Special Education Teaching (SET) resources are provided under the SET model and are allocated to support our most vulnerable learners. This is also the case for SNAs. SET resources provided to schools are based on the special education needs of the pupils enrolled and should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government’s objective is to have at least 400 multi-denominational schools in the primary system by 2030 to improve parental choice.  I fully support this commitment and I am working with my Department and stakeholders in this respect.   In recent years there has been progress towards increasing the numbers of multi-denominational primary schools with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.  In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The voice of parents and that of children and young people is of critical importance to me as Minister and to my Department in all of our work.  To assist with this, my Department provides funding to ensure that parents and students are supported to have national representation. Since 1985, the National Parents Council post primary (NPCPP) has been the organisation recognised as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I am fully committed to ensuring every child and young person has access to modern, inclusive sex education.  The Programme for Government states that ‘this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and SPHE across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships.’  This reflects that access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government’s objective is to have at least 400 multi-denominational schools in the primary system by 2030 to improve parental choice.  I fully support this commitment and I am working with my Department in this respect.  In recent years there has been progress towards increasing the numbers of multi-denominational primary schools with the vast majority of new...