Results 11,261-11,280 of 19,660 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: In February 2022, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, and which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot of the relevant members was undertaken, and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal.  Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is my Department’s whole education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is practical, inclusive and contains a broad range of actions which will help us all to work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and...

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

Norma Foley: The Creative Clusters scheme supports schools to build capacity in creativity.  A Creative Cluster consists of up to 5 schools collaborating on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an innovative arts and creative learning project which supports them to address a common issue or challenge, identified by that cluster.  Creative Clusters include schools at...

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

Norma Foley: The BLAST (Bringing Live Art to Students and Teachers) initiative that I announced on 4 June 2021, provides additional opportunities for schools to collaborate with established trained artists, supporting our children and young people to collaborate and engage in creative and critical thinking - all crucial skills for their futures.  The aim of BLAST is to give pupils in schools all over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (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: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283, 284 and 285 together. As the Deputy is aware, my Department has reached agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school to which the Deputy refers. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process has commenced and Head of Terms have been agreed with the...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as road crossings, road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter , for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 295 together. The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. 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...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the matter to which she refers and will continue to engage with the school patron in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department have worked closely with officials from Wicklow County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School. My Department officials also work closely with Wicklow County Council in relation to the designation of suitably zoned lands to...

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

Norma Foley: Temporary accommodation in schools may be rented or purchased and funded by the Department or by the school authority itself, with or without Department sanction.  For that reason it is not possible to provide the Deputy with a complete picture in respect of all temporary accommodation at schools as requested. As the Deputy will appreciate, within the context of a rapidly increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 293 together. As the Deputy is aware, my Department has reached agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school in question. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process has commenced and Head of Terms have been agreed with the Vendor. It is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a suitable site has been identified and the Department has reached an agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School. Taking into account the underlying demographic trends and the level of potential increase in school place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The planned establishment of a new primary school in 2021 to serve the Bray/Woodbrook Shanganagh school planning area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. Further analysis has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of a number of planned new schools, including the school to serve this school planning area, taking into account a number...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the matter to which he refers and will continue to engage with the school patron in this regard.

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

Norma Foley: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council's Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. Budget 2020 provided for the re-instatement of the grant to cover the full cost of the Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for...

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

Norma Foley: In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers at post-primary level. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The Action Plan called for the development of...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299, 305 and 307 together. In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 309 together. In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The...

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

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers. At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme...