Results 1,981-2,000 of 19,412 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. Budget 2024 reflects this Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in the education system through various measures including the:Introduction of a professional master of education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Prior to 2022, principal release days were allocated on the basis of the number of mainstream teachers in the school. As part of Budget 2022 measures, I ensured that all schools with a teaching principal have a minimum of 37 Principal Release Days. i.e. one administrative day per week. Schools with one special class have 4 additional release days, a total of 41 in the school year and schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under the Department’s Design and Build Programme and will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs on a site at Kishogue Cross, Griffeen Avenue, Lucan, Co Dublin. The Invitation to Tender issued in April...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award, the tender process was undertaken, and a contractor identified. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs on the permanent site at Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. The project currently has planning permission and is, along with a number of other projects, being brought to the level of employer-led design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 698, 702 and 879 together. The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a campus project included in my Department’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. The project brief includes the phased construction of two 16...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The joint major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design. My Department met with both schools and their Design Team in December 2022 to discuss proposed changes to the school design as additional classrooms for children with special educational needs were approved for both...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. The project brief includes the demolition of the existing school and the phased construction of a three storey 1,000 pupil Community School with Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 900 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 30 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy has recently been transferred to my Departments ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The joint major building project for St Thomas JNS & Scoil áine SNS will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction. The project is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme as a campus project and will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a new 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 Jul 2024)

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: National Educational Psychological Service (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Work is ongoing in my Department at present to develop a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. This policy will build on the significant achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. In order to inform the development of the policy, a comprehensive public consultation process was conducted to seek the views of stakeholders including young people, parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a request from the Patron of the schools under reference for the amalgamation of the two schools. As the Deputy will be aware the decision making authority for school amalgamations belongs to the patron or trustees of a school, and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education. Any proposed change involves extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 710 and 711 together. The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 12.7:1 to 12.5:1 at post primary level, when comparing 2018/19 to 2022/23 school year. This compares favourably with the OECD average pupil teacher ratio which the latest figures indicate is 15:1. The average pupil teacher ratio is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Jul 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 travelling 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...