Results 12,881-12,900 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (13 Jun 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: Teaching Qualifications (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in my Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). The teachers unions have lodged a number of claims at the TCC in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval has issued under the Additional School Accommodation scheme at the school in question for 4 additional classrooms. This project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This approach supports accelerated delivery of the accommodation and maximises assistance to the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: In September 2022 unions representing post-primary teachers chose to use the Building Momentum Sectoral Bargaining Fund to restore the value of an allowance previously withdrawn from new entrant post-primary teachers. Sectoral bargaining provides for the establishment of a sectoral fund amounting to 1 per cent of basic pay, of which some or all may be used to resolve outstanding issues, with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently planning to install modular accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy on the site identified. There are also contingency measures being looked into should the interim accommodation not be ready for the upcoming academic year. One contingency option is that the school may be split over two locations, which if it happens should be for a short term...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval has issued for the provision of 1 x SEN Reconfiguration under the additional accommodation scheme at the school in question. This project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This approach supports accelerated delivery of the accommodation and maximises assistance to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (13 Jun 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: Departmental Data (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and advise the following: In 2018, the NCSE was requested by the then Minister for Education to provide policy advice on future provision in special schools and special classes. The request was made in the context of significant year on year increases in special class provision and Ireland’s ratification in 2018 of the United Nations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval has issued under the Additional School Accommodation scheme at the school in question for 4 additional classrooms. This project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This approach supports accelerated delivery of the accommodation and maximises assistance to the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The school which the Deputy has referred to was approved funding under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the provision of 1x General classroom, 1x Music room, 1x Textiles room, 1x Art room, 1x Graphics room, 1x Multimedia room, 1x Science lab, 1x Science Prep area, 2x Technology and shared Prep area, 3 Classroom SEN base School. The project has been devolved to the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval under the Additional School Accommodation scheme has issued to the school in question for the provision of six general classrooms under my Department's Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: There are no plans at present to introduce the kind of driver education programme the Deputy refers to into the curriculum. Accordingly, no costing exercises in relation to this have been carried out by my Department. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has been involved for a number of years in providing a comprehensive integrated road safety education programme in pre-school, primary,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: There are no plans at present to introduce First Aid into the Leaving Certificate curriculum. Accordingly, no costing exercises in relation to this have been carried out by my Department. The curriculum in second level schools must meet an extensive range of needs in catering for the cognitive, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social, physical and moral development of students, and in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out my Department’s policy approach in terms of embedding digital technology across the curriculum and in all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies is a key component of the Digital Strategy. Supports and resources in the area of online safety and digital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: In March 2022, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle where the student is at the centre of their experience which will:Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st centuryEnrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current systemEmbed wellbeing and reduce student stress levelsThe redeveloped Senior Cycle will involve the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 534 together. Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools. SPHE is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary junior cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 as inserted by section 7 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 provides for an appeal where a board of management, or a person acting on behalf of the board of management (normally the school principal) refuses to admit a student to a school, where the decision to refuse admission is due to the school being oversubscribed. A three person...