Results 15,801-15,820 of 20,909 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The project brief for the large scale capital project, involves the construction of a new 16 classroom school, a GP Hall and classrooms for children with special educational needs. My Department’s planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2024 in the context of overall requirements. The large scale capital project at Lismullen NS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2024)

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 the Department. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Athenry. As part of planning for September 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: 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 the Department. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in North Kildare. As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department is not in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. The purpose of the Additional Schools' Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. 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. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The Department’s planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2024 in the context of overall requirements. The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery. A tender report is under review by Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The Department’s planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2024 in the context of overall requirements. The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery. A tender report is under review by Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for the provision of 1 mainstream classroom. The project is currently at Stage 2B of the architectural design process. Department officials have been liaising with the school authority to submit the relevant and appropriate Stage 2B report...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) carried out an examination of the provision of school transport and completed his report in August 2017 – the C&AG Special Report 98. The C&AG report referenced a surplus in the Transport Management Charge element of the costs. This amount was held by way of an uncommitted reserve by Bus Éireann to be used solely...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The Department’s planning and building unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2024 in the context of overall requirements. The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery. A tender report is under review by Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of the request from the school and the timelines involved, and the matter is under consideration. Officials from my Department have been on site in the school mentioned to review and are awaiting certain information from the contractor involved in building the school. Once the information has been received, my officials will analyse and review, and a reply will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question was approved funding under My Departments Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide a 1 classroom special educational needs base. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery, and they have recently submitted the stage 2b report (pre-tender report) for review. Once this report has been reviewed,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Chair and committee for the invitation to attend today to discuss some key issues facing the Department of Education. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for the Government and has been such since it was inaugurated. The majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. She will be doing valuable work around endometriosis. It is important and the Senator is right that knowledge is power. It is important that we get that information out. We would be happy to take on board whatever documentation the Senator produces and we will give it a hearing. It is extremely important work. On special education, and the specific examples the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Senator referenced a specific young person, prosthesis and areas of need in schools. The whole focus for every child and young person in the area, no matter what their needs, is to have supports in place at an appropriate time to be of maximum benefit to the young person. We are making great strides. An additional €2 million has been provided in the budget to ensure we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Senator. Obviously, I want to be associated with the words of appreciation for the former Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, who was so hard-working and diligent within our Department. She was great to work with. We welcome the incoming Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and I met her this morning so we have set the ball rolling. I totally agree with the Senator that hot...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: As for young people or children with complex needs, the Senator is correct that the data was not sufficient from the community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas so to compensate for that, we are now relying on school data. I want to be very clear on that. If a young person has such a complex need that they do not complete any of the school testing requirements, they are given maximum...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes, but not everything will come in the next couple of weeks. Some of it will come perhaps at the end of June.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I will go to the last one first. That is under review. A review is being done on that by the State Examinations Commission which will inform what happens. I have met and engaged with survivors and I appreciate the valuable work done in this committee. It is my intention to move this as quickly as possible in the next short while. I am not in a position to give the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Was it about the pilots or something?