Results 12,761-12,780 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Through Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. My Department has a proven track record of delivery. During the period 2018 to 2022, nearly 900 school building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Through Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. My Department has a proven track record of delivery. During the period 2018 to 2022, nearly 900 school building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. The funding provides good flexibility at local level to assist schools to manage and undertake works that support the operation of the school. On 11th April 2023, my Department announced €29 million in minor works funding for primary and special schools for the 2023/24 school year. To provide schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: No software applications from Meta Platforms i.e. Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, are contained on the work container of my Department's corporate smart phones. All my Department's official mobile devices and the apps which run on them comply with the guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This guidance is based on risk assessments appropriate to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Currently the Department’s preliminary data for schools under the Free Education Scheme 2022-2023 indicates there are 558,133 learners in recognised primary and special schools and 406,457 students in post-primary schools. If there was an allocation of €10 per child that would be in the region of €10,000,000 per annum. As the Deputy is aware, once off funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (25 May 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 Transport (25 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: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: In 2018 my Department tendered for an independent external accountant to audit the 2017 financial statements of the Education Support Centres. The tendering process was carried out in line with public procurement guidelines. This practice has continued since then with the audit of 2022 financial statements currently underway. The accountancy firm currently contracted to do this work is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department issue funding to the Education Support Centres in three tranches annually following a detailed draw-down process and confirmation that the centres are in compliance with governance requirements. The majority of funding relates to the following categories:core grant (for the normal day to day running and operational expenses of the Centre)local course grant (for local courses as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Education Support Centres are independent statutory bodies recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998). Each Education Support Centre is responsible for preparing annual audited financial statements and submitting these to my Department. In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies each Education Support Centre should publish an annual report and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will appreciate, the main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision. The immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 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% tickets issued to eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently planning to install modular accommodation for the school on the site to which the Deputy refers. There are also contingency measures being looked into should the interim accommodation not be ready in time. The school being split over two locations is a contingency option, which if happens should be only for a short term solution and my Department will assist the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (30 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The grievance procedures provided for under Section 28 of the Education Act are being progressed through the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill. This Bill has passed all stages of Seanad Éireann and passed Second Stage in Dáil Éireann on 8th July 2021. Officials in my Department are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the National Parents Council and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (30 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 281 together. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (30 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Education Support Centres are independent statutory bodies recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998). Each Education Support Centre is responsible for preparing annual audited financial statements and submitting these to my Department. In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies each Education Support Centre should publish an annual report and...

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

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. This is a joint building project with St Mary’s Special School to provide 2 new schools for pupils with special educational needs on a greenfield site, and is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a major building project for the school to which he refers is included on the Department's school building programme and is currently at project brief stage. There are standard procedures to be followed in relation to the progression of a building project, which involve finalising the project brief, the appointment of a Design Team, preliminary design, detailed...