Results 1,521-1,540 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. The staffing process also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria. The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: In a normal year, Leaving Certificate candidates receive their provisional examination results in mid-August and the final Certificate is issued in the spring of the following year following the conclusion of the appeals process. It is not possible or appropriate to reopen this process. The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades for the Leaving Certificate students of 2020 was a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which tenders to pre-established frameworks of D&B contractors. The Decision to Grant Permission subject to 29 no. conditions was received on 14th September 2020 from Cork Co. Co for the project and the Departments Project Management team are currently reviewing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The major project for the construction of the new school building for St Paul’s Secondary School, Monasterevin is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The Design Team has finalised its engagement with the preferred bidder and the preferred bidder is in the process of putting in place the required bond. It is anticipated that the supplementary tender report with the fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 489 together. The existing Curragh Post-Primary school is a multi-denominational community college under the patronage of Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). My Department is satisfied that the needs in the area can be met through the replacement and expansion of the existing Curragh Post-Primary school with a new 1,000...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The project is currently at Stage 1 of architectural planning which entails preliminary site surveys, location suitability and initial sketch scheme. A review in 2019 of the demand for post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The major project for the construction of the new school building for St Paul’s Secondary School, Monasterevin is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The Design Team has finalised its engagement with the preferred bidder and the preferred bidder is in the process of putting in place the required bond. It is anticipated that the supplementary tender report with the fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. However, the staffing arrangements for primary schools also includes the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly, the question has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (22 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012 provides for the issuing of annual benefit statements to members. My officials have been liaising with their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to clarify various pension issues peculiar to the work patterns in the education sector which impact on the provision of annual benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to enact the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill. The Bill was initiated in the Seanad and completed all stages in that House in December 2019. The overall approach is to move away from concentrating on reacting to problems in schools after they have given rise to grievances to an approach which aims to improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020. The Circular outlines that special leave with pay may be granted to teachers who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Preparation of the planning application for the permanent accommodation for the two schools in question is in progress and a meeting will be arranged with the school authorities before lodging. When planning is secured the project will then proceed to tender and construction. Until planning permission is secured it is not possible to provide a timeline for tender and construction. Both...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. This guidance was developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the government’s Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which tenders to pre-established frameworks of D&B contractors. The Deputy will be aware that planning permission has been secured for the project and the Departments Project Management team are currently working on the preparation of the tender documents for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which tenders to pre-established frameworks of D&B contractors. The Decision to Grant Permission subject to 29 no. conditions was received on 14th September 2020 from Cork Co. Co for the project and the Departments Project Management team are currently reviewing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of...