Results 15,841-15,860 of 20,909 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: On the bus escorts, I am really cognisant of the valuable work they do. There is a small number of them, but we would not be able to function within the school transport system for children and young people with additional needs without the school bus escort. I know them. I know they are hugely invested in the work they do. I gave an absolute commitment there would be a full review of...

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

Norma Foley: On the SEN aspect, I want to be really clear because I have a special interest in the area of special education. The option to travel on mainstream transport, as distinct from special education transport, is only an option. I wish to clearly state that it will be a matter for parents and guardians to decide what bests suits the child. Through the consultation process some parents came...

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

Norma Foley: We were very clear that the commitment around that would be very similar to school secretaries. The body of work around school secretaries took a considerable amount of time because different school secretaries work under different systems. Previously, school secretaries were employed by the boards of management so there were individual circumstances and that took a considerable body of...

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

Norma Foley: The caretakers are next.

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

Norma Foley: I have not at present because the work on school secretaries proved more challenging than was envisaged because there were different circumstances for secretaries in different schools. We have 4,000 schools so the analysis has been a considerable undertaking and has taken more time than we had envisaged. By and large, school secretaries are pleased to be in the position that we are in now.

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

Norma Foley: Yes.

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

Norma Foley: We look at the whole suite of measures. We support the child with additional needs in the system. The vast majority of them are in mainstream education whether that is in a special class, a mainstream class or whatever. For example, we have the whole system around the SNAs. The pupil-teacher ratio has been reduced to an historic low of 23:1. There is continuing professional development,...

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

Norma Foley: I know.

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

Norma Foley: To speak in support of that, I know the school has been very much on the committee's radar and I appreciate the engagement members have had with it. I assure the committee that the school is very much a priority for the Department as well. I understand members are to visit the Middletown Centre for Autism or is that visit not proceeding?

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

Norma Foley: The committee will be very impressed.

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

Norma Foley: Fair enough. I acknowledge the superb work the centre does. It is a great example of North-South co-operation. It is resourced on a 50:50 basis and is first class. When the committee gets the opportunity-----

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide 1 mainstream classroom and 2 SET rooms. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery, and they have recently submitted the tender report which is under review by my department officials. Once this review is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department received an application under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) Scheme in 2021 from the school in question for funding for three special education needs classrooms. The purpose of my department’s Additional Schools' Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department received an application under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) Scheme in 2021 from the school in question for funding for three special education needs classrooms. The purpose of my department’s Additional Schools' Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question was approved capital funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 2x Special Education Needs Classrooms. This project has been devolved to the school authorities for delivery and is currently at stage 1 - preliminary design. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Apr 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...