Results 13,161-13,180 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Patronage (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear at the outset. There is to be no bullying or coercion here. The pilot that has concluded was purposefully set out to gather the thoughts and the views. I acknowledge that in some instances there was no desire for change, and in others, there was huge desire for change. I absolutely accept that there must be a balanced approach. I also accept what Deputy Ó...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Ó Cuív, as ucht aird a tharraingt ar an éileamh atá ar oideachas lán-Ghaeilge faoi láthair. Mar Aire Oideachais, teastaíonn uaimse a chinntiú go ndéanfar soláthar cuí do dhaoine óga ar mian leo a gcuid oideachais a fháil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Mar chuid den...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct. Where there is a desire to set up a school, the normal criteria is that it should have between a 600 and 1,000 pupil level available to it within the community. However, for the Gaelcholáistí, 400 is required. The aonaid are open to any school. They are entitled to approach the Department with the request to establish an aonad within the existing school. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I will take the last question first. The Department has a huge openness to working with anybody. Where there would be seen to be an interest and enthusiasm to establish an aonad, in the first instance, obviously, the school itself can approach the Department. If a need is identified an area not associated with the school, however, I would like to think there would be an openness in terms...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 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 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff involved in the education sector. The Department has a proven track record of delivery. During the period 2018 to 2022, just under 900 school buildings...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank all Deputies. I reiterate that more than 300 building projects are under way, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools across the country. Twenty-five of those school buildings are based in County Cork. That is almost 9%. A further 1,000 school building projects are in the pipeline at various stages, of which 165 are in Cork, which is almost 17% of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Deputy O'Connor referred to Carrigtwohill, which I am familiar with, as he said, and the need for further development in that east Cork area. Looking at east Cork, it includes Christian Brothers School, St. Colman's Community College and St. Mary's High School Midleton as part of the programme.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Could I have the floor? Pobalscoil na Tríonóide in Youghal, Coláiste Muire and Carrignafoy Community College in Cobh and Dromahane National School in Mallow are part of the programme. I did not mention the Patrician Academy in Mallow. Scoil An Athar Tadhg in Carrignavar and Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour National School are part of the programme. I am saying there is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I think they will be getting worried to hear Deputy O'Sullivan is crossing into a different constituency. As Minister, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. The Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I want to confirm that the provision is for all of our primary schools and special schools. There is no question. They are all included in it. Where there might be a need for additional resources or if the school finds it has additional students, or whatever the case might be, then as we have said in the guidelines that went out to the schools, direct contact has been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I agree; this is a landmark moment in education. It is the right thing to do. A huge financial investment is involved, but we had to take the first step and the Department deemed it appropriate that that would relate to primary education. I am conscious of the benefit the scheme provides for parents and guardians because I meet them frequently and visit schools throughout the country. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses 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: School Funding (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education I am very conscious of the need to ensure schools are supported, enabling them to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for all students. My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. These grants are based on recognised enrolments in September of the relevant school year, which is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: In this the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule operates on a general average of 24 pupils to every 1 teacher. This is a historically low level of pupils to teachers. Primary schools also have access to other non-mainstream teachers, including for example special education teachers and language support teachers. Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to make...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: It is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources, if any, that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and my Department do not endorse or recommend particular materials. This includes text books, and it is a matter for each school to consider all relevant issues, including discussing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that my Department provides a payroll service to over 3,700 primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. The number of teachers allocated for the 2022 / 2023 school year was 42,739 in primary schools and 34,250 in post primary schools. This has been an increase of over 17,000 teachers employed in our schools over the 10 year period from the school years...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to “achieve the target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030, to improve parental choice”. In recent years there has been considerable progress towards increasing the numbers of multi-denominational primary schools. In 2022, there were 166 primary schools with a multi-denominational or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education I am very conscious of the need to ensure schools are supported, enabling them to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for all students. My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. These grants are based on recognised enrolments in September of the relevant school year, which is the September...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 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 2022/23 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were 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: Mental Health Services (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children and I was delighted to announce the establishment of a programme of counselling and mental health supports to be piloted in a number of primary schools from September 2023. Strand 1 of the pilot was announced on the 31stof May and Strand 2 on the 22ndof June. Strand 1 will see the provision of...