Results 12,461-12,480 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 May 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: Public Sector Pay (9 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 to 308, inclusive, together. As referenced, payslips are now being made available to serving and retired staff, paid through the Department’s schools employee payroll service, in two formats. Firstly the paper payslip is still available as an option, and secondly an e-payslip can now be delivered electronically to a recipient’s Digital...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: During my time as Minister for Education I have shown a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage. The Department’s statement of strategy sets out the vision and mission of the Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach his or her fullest potential. It sets equity of opportunity...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the positive comment the Deputy made across a variety of different levels. It is an important to note the school completion rate of in excess of 96% compared with an EU average of 84%, which speaks to the considerable achievement in this country on retention rates within schools. That is largely due to the considerable investment that has gone in. He referred to DEIS supports...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: We have more than 1,200 schools now in DEIS. One in four of all our students now benefit from DEIS supports. That is significant and we see its benefit. Keeping young people in school at a rate of 96%, compared with the EU, is quite an achievement. The Minister of State and I are very conscious about children and young people with additional needs. For that reason, we have a number of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government believes and is clear that a rise in the cost of living should never be a barrier to education. The Deputy will be aware that as part of the cost-of-living measures announced in budget 2023, the Government provided an additional €90 million to schools as once-off additional capitation funding. This investment, in addition to a range of other funds being made available...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be clear that section 64 of the Education Act, added to by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees in our schools. No fee can be charged for instruction in any subject that is on the school curriculum. There is absolutely no charge for education from that point of view. The Deputy referred to schools that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. The Government has been very cognisant of the demands placed on parents. She will be aware that this September the free schoolbooks programme will be rolled out in all our primary schools. We have had an expansion of DEIS with additional supports going into schools, and the hot school meals programme is being rolled out to our schools. School transport is another...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department has a considerable record in the delivery of schools buildings. More than 180 projects were completed last year to the highest standards. This year alone 300 school building projects are on hand, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects of additional accommodation of various types. Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion between now and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As I have outlined, the school accommodation project was approved in 2020 and it has devolved to the school authority. The project is at stage 1. I understand there site-specific challenges for the delivery of the schools building project. However, following a review of the project's design team submission by the Department's professional and technical officials the project proposal was...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I accept and the Department accepts the need for the building to progress. I want to be clear that it has devolved to the school authority. It appears there are site-specific challenges. It appears there were two outstanding technical recommendations for the site. They have been communicated to the school authority. We await what further progress the school authority can make. It has...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I 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 the Department. To plan for school place needs, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I am. I know they have a joint system. Where forecasts indicate growing enrolments, the Department first considers available capacity within the existing schools. Where additional provision is needed, the options considered are the expansion of existing schools or the establishment of one or more new schools. In response to the projections of school place needs in Limerick city, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge again that the common application system that operates in Limerick is a superb system and is one born of co-operation between all of the schools on the sharing of information. There is often a challenge where there are multiple applications across a number of systems. I want to acknowledge that in the first instance. I also want to acknowledge that, because of that system,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: To be fair, we have seen considerable progress in Limerick and we are also seeing very considerable investment by the Department in either new school buildings or additional accommodation. I have listed them for the Deputy, whether it is the 1,000-pupil school buildings for two recently established schools, Mungret Community College and Limerick ETSS, the new school buildings for Laurel...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I believe it is crucial that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms and I know that I am supported by the Government in this belief. Since June 2020, and over the past three budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I was very clear in giving the Deputy the context and the reasons behind this decision. I also outlined the process that was employed. Whether she accepts it or not, the process was borne of experience. As I said, we had three years of data, which is considerable, from the 100 primary schools that ran the pilot free schoolbook scheme. That was a considerable source of data. The process...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Again, I want to be very clear that the figure of €96 was arrived at as a consequence of the considerable experience, not just from the pilot free book scheme but also the book rental scheme. There was also engagement in terms of looking at the most recent and up-to-date book lists that are distributed to schools. If one looks at the guidance that went out to schools, one will see...

Other Questions (Resumed): School Transport (16 May 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 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Other Questions (Resumed): School Transport (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy and I appreciate the point she makes. I absolutely appreciate the importance of the school transport system for a whole variety of reasons for different people at different times, as the Deputy articulated. Specifically in respect of the topic, Bus Éireann will be reviewing applications and planning routes during the summer months for the upcoming year. It is...