Results 12,121-12,140 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: A major building project for the school in question has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. Following submission of the Tender Report, the Department authorised Louth County Council to issue the Letter of Intent to the preferred tenderer. The Supplementary Tender Report was subsequently submitted to the Department in recent weeks and is currently under review. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that there are no discussions planned to allow Irish to be an optional subject at post-primary level. All children educated in Ireland are expected to have had the opportunity to study Irish to an appropriate standard. The Irish language is accorded special status in Ireland and is protected by various pieces of Legislation and in particular Article 8 of our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: It is really positive news for our schools that Budget 2023, through the Climate Action Fund, will enable the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output. It is intended the provision of the solar panels will be fully funded for schools. PV panels will assist schools with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The recognition of teacher qualifications is matter for the Teaching Council, the body with statutory responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession. If a person is not a registered teacher they will need to contact the Teaching Council. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction. The tender process to appoint the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 of a general average of 1 teacher for every 23 pupils, which is a historical low ratio. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight year course, including a two year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children progressing to the next grade at the end of each school year. The Department's policy in regards to the retention of pupils in primary schools is set out in Primary Circular 32/03‘Retention of Pupils in same Grade in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 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: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 1 – Site Suitability, Site Report & Initial Sketch Scheme Submission. The Brief for the project is an extension/refurbishment to bring the current accommodation up to 12 classrooms on the current site of the girl’s school. In January...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department. In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for the school referred to by the Deputy  issued to the preferred tenderer on the 19thof May 2022 commencing the school building contract. The project is due for completion in Q3 2023. My Department will continue to keep the school updated.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, on 7 March 2023 the Government approved the establishment of a scoping inquiry to inform the government response to revelations of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders. The scoping inquiry was established in response to recent revelations of historical sexual abuse in a number of day and boarding schools run by religious...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that on 5 April an agreement was secured to guarantee and support the rollout and continuation of my Department’s ambitious school building programme. My Department has a proven track record of delivery, with over 180 projects completed last year within a challenging environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. This year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy, that the Board of Management of schools are the direct employer of teachers.  My Department acts as paymaster on behalf of primary schools, voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools. The information requested is available on my Department's website at the link below and is extracted at the end of June each year....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The table below shows the total number of teachers for the years 2018 – 2021, this includes primary and post-primary. 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total number of Teachers 65,815 66,932 69,221 72,496 Data is reported on an academic year basis, i.e., 2021 means September 2021. Teacher numbers are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 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 Accommodation (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question.  My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. Key priorities for the Department's work programme include continuing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Fee Paying Schools (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: Private primary schools are not recognised schools under the Education Act, 1998 and therefore do not fall within the remit of the Minister for Education. The Department has no responsibility regarding funding or any other matter relating to private primary schools that are not recognised by the Minister as such schools are privately owned and managed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: Where a student is facing difficulties in a school, support services from the Educational Welfare Officer, the National Educational Physiological Services and the local Special Educational Needs Organiser as appropriate are available to the family by contacting the school in question.  Where a board of management make a decision to refuse admission to a school, the parent/guardian...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a framework designed for second language adult learners and its use has implications beyond curriculum, including for example, Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development, external assessments such as state examinations and the development of standardised tests.   In...