Results 11,641-11,660 of 19,660 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, Caranua was established in 2013 to disburse the contributions of €110m (€111.38m including interest) provided by the religious congregations following the publication of the Ryan Report by funding approved services to support the needs of former residents who, as children, suffered abuse in relevant institutions. As the funding available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide free schoolbooks for all children and young people in primary schools, including special schools within the free education scheme from September 2023. This measure will eliminate the cost to these families for all school books and workbooks. It delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the free school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Meeting the educational needs of children and young people from Ukraine is a priority for the Government, and my Department is determined to support the efforts of school communities across the country, who have shown huge commitment and generosity. I announced the establishment of Regional Education and Language Teams (REALTs) to support the needs of Ukrainian children arriving in Ireland....

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

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. For the 2023/24 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The current position on the lease to which the Deputy refers is that the work is ongoing and approaching conclusion. The Chief State Solicitors Office, on behalf of my Department, has been engaging with the property owners’ legal representative on the draft lease for some time and the vast majority of the clauses in the draft lease are agreed.  My Department is working with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education does not have any remit with regards to availability of books in public libraries.  In relation to the curriculum, it is the current policy of the Department of Education to not endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support the teaching of subjects. There are a small number of exceptions where the department has procured...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question, for funding under the Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA). My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: In accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children not attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parents. The manner in which any schools ensures that the right of a student not to attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parents is a matter for the school concerned. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to developing inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and SPHE across primary and post-primary schools. In giving effect to this commitment, my Department continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). I take it that the Deputy's question refers to the introduction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits that ‘this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships’.  Work to implement this commitment is ongoing, building on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: 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’. For Junior Cycle, a revised Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) specification, which includes Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Business Supports (2 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval has issued for the refurbishment of 4 existing Modular Classroom units and for the provision of 2 additional Modular Classroom units at the school referred, to cater for increased enrolments. The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme which provides the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (7 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together. I wish to advise the Deputy, that in order for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (7 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. Almost 95% of the post primary schools that made 2020 Annual Schools Returns have indicated to the Department that they either have a PE Hall, access to a nearby PE Hall, or a project in train that will deliver a new PE Hall which can be used as a sports...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (7 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has an ongoing policy of updating and improving its suite of School Design Guides (SDGs) for schools with a view to offering better guidance to school authorities and Design Teams. The update of design guidance documents is based on evidence based research, collaboration, codes of practice and international best practice. SDG-02-06, which is only one document of a suite of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Mar 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: School Transport (7 Mar 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: School Admissions (7 Mar 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, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Parental Leave (7 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Parental Leave Scheme for teachers is regulated by the Parental Leave Act 1998, as amended. The terms and conditions of the Parental Leave Scheme for primary and post primary teachers are contained in my Department's Circular Letter 0054/2019 (Chapter 5). Parental Leave is a period of statutory unpaid leave available to a teacher for the specific purpose of caring for their child....