Results 14,101-14,120 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy, was approved under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme for a 2 classroom SEN base, which has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. The project is at Stage 1 of the design process. A Stage 1/2A report was submitted by the school’s design team, and my Department’s Professional and Technical team have reviewed...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department prioritises its capital funding for the provision of school accommodation to meet school place requirements, including for children with special educational needs. It does not provide funding towards the provision of accommodation for childcare or other non-school related services. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has historically...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 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. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided...

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

Norma Foley: The site identification and assessment exercise for the school referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and a potential property has been identified. An architectural consultant has been appointed to commence an assessment of this potential property. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time. I wish to...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers has been granted approval for the provision of 2 x Special Educational Needs classrooms under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and helps to ease the administrative workload for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (26 Oct 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: Departmental Contracts (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides capital funding to school authorities for the procurement and delivery of modular accommodation to meet their mainstream and special education enrolment requirements. The projects referred to by the Deputy are devolved to individual school authorities who enter into contractual arrangements with the modular supplier and are therefore the responsibility of these school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of bundled school building programmes. This project is part of the bundle referred to as ‘Project Liffey’. A letter was issued by the Department to the schools to advise that their respective school had been included in the programme and the NDFA has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy currently has planning permission and will, along with a number of other projects, be brought to the level of employer-led design with a Design Team assigned to do so under the supervision of my Department’s Project Manager. My Department’s Project Manager recently completed the Design Team appointments for this programme and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department operates the Schools Broadband Programme at an annual cost of some €13m, providing connectivity to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools through a range of technologies at the best level of connectivity available based on local infrastructure. The Department is obliged to adhere to procurement regulations and must engage with the selected providers on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 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. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is attached. It should be noted that this is provisional at this time and that final numbers will be known in November when the staffing process has completed at the end of this month. Budget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in Education and Schools which includes an increase of €421 million in core current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 to 185, inclusive, together. Certain casual workers employed by ETBs are entitled to be paid increments once they meet the appropriate criteria, which can differ depending on the role and the type of contract on which they are employed. The date upon which the increment is paid differs from person to person and if arrears are due these are paid to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The number of pupils from Ukraine enrolled in Irish schools is available in the monthly press release from my Department which includes the figures at both Primary and Post Primary level. As of the 2nd October 2023, 17,501 Ukrainian pupils are enrolled in Irish schools. Out of that figure, 10,655 of these pupils have been accommodated in primary schools while 6,846 pupils have enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (26 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools. The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:Psychological support in the event of a Critical IncidentA Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not have any current contract with the specified company.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 429, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government reflects the Government’s objective of continuing to expand the plurality of schools to reflect the full breadth of society. It sets out that “students of all religions and none should have access to education, regardless of their belief system”. The Programme for Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I recently announced a school attendance campaign with a once off funding package of over €6 million to support and promote attendance in primary, post-primary and special schools. The campaign is designed to promote the importance of attendance at class or school level. It has been rolled out by Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) in conjunction with my Department and it will run...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 432 together. As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. As part of Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools. The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:Psychological support in the event of a Critical IncidentA Casework Service for individual children where there is a...