Results 15,201-15,220 of 20,909 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the deputy refers submitted an Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) application for funding for a roof replacement. The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works and the school was advised to submit a revised scope of works based on a leak detection test, and an accompanying Itemised Cost Breakdown for the revised scope of works. My Department is currently awaiting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The first school referred to by the Deputy was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide a 2 classroom SEN base. This project has been devolved for delivery to the Cork ETB (CETB). My Department are awaiting a stage 1 report submission from the CETB. Once received this will be reviewed and the outcome of the review will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Feb 2024)

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 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils traveling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a campus development and will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 6 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (7 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: All persons featured in this video work are educational professionals and participated on a voluntary basis. The only payments received by participants were their travel expenses (for participating in the production which took place in Dublin), all of which have been vouched. The video piece concludes with a professional voice-over who directs viewers to a government website to find out more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: Tá na sraitheanna pictiúr mar chomhpháirt den Bhéaltriail Ghaeilge d’iarrthóirí Ardleibhéil agus Gnáthleibhéil, agus 40% de na marcanna iomlána don Ghaeilge san Ardteistiméireacht ag dul don Bhéaltriail. Mar fhreagra ar cheisteanna a d’ardaigh an CNCM agus COGG faoin sraith pictiúr agus faoi ghnéithe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the 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). To qualify for an award of incremental credit, a teacher and their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 Feb 2024)

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 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils traveling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As part of the Schools Photovoltaic Programme, which rolled out to over 1,600 schools last November, installations will be for a maximum of 6 kWp (approximately 16 solar panels) in size and will be fully funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund. Schools in the following areas were invited to participate in the first phase: Co. Clare, Co. Donegal, Dublin City Council area,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) 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. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (8 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in North Kildare. A critical next step for my Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (13 Feb 2024)

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, more than 161,600 children, including more than 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs and 6,800 pupils who arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported daily to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I agree. I said at the outset that the contribution of school escorts is invaluable. There is no doubt about that in terms of escorting children with additional needs to and from school. She is right and I referenced the SNA workforce development plan, which will include an examination of the interaction of the SNA role with the bus escort role. As the Deputy said, many individuals cross...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: There are 4,000 school bus escorts in the system doing incredibly valuable work. I will specifically address a number of the issues the Deputy has raised. The school transport section is carrying out a comprehensive review of matters as they relate to bus escorts. The information pack that is being developed will be made available to schools for the beginning of the 2024-25 school year....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024-25, I assure families and all children who require a school place that such a place will be provided for them for the 2024-25 school year. I do not, for one minute, underestimate the challenges and stress families are facing but we are clear that positions will be made available for students for the 2024-25...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I am clearly saying to the Deputy that if there are specific cases he needs to bring to the attention of the Department, I will be very happy to deal with them. We in the Department are committed to ensuring that every child has an appropriate place for the 2024-25 school year, whether at primary or post-primary level. With regard to special education provision, we are equally determined to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear; the Department carries out considerable forward planning. We have a geographical information system that allows us to look at current data and projected data. We engage with local authorities, school patrons and management bodies. We are consistently planning forward. That can be seen in the 300 projects currently under construction, which I have mentioned. That...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Examinations (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. The SEC is very aware, as am I as Minister, of the challenges of the timing of the oral examinations for students, parents and education partners. Prior to the pandemic, the oral examinations in any given year were held either before or after the Easter holidays,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Examinations (13 Feb 2024)

Norma Foley: As I have said there is a review ongoing that is being undertaken by the SEC. This was at my request. I acknowledge the huge co-operation. A premium rate has been paid to examiners and there has been additional support provided to schools in days being made available to them to support their work at that time. I acknowledge what the Deputy said that there are mixed views on the timing of...