Results 2,141-2,160 of 19,412 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Under section 18 of the Maternity Protection Act 1994, an employee who is pregnant or breastfeeding may be granted maternity health and safety leave from her employment where, following a risk assessment by her employer, a risk has been identified which is not possible to remove from the work environment and where it is not possible to move the employee - an SNA, in this instance - to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the enormously positive work carried out every single day by our SNAs. The Deputy referred to two different types of leave. I have outlined the situation with regard to maternity health and safety leave. For clarity I will reference the second type, which is assault leave. Where an SNA is injured as a result of physical contact from a third party, causing physical injury in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I am fully appreciative of the excellent work that is done by teachers, SNAs, school secretaries, caretakers and school leaders every day in our schools. If a member of staff is pregnant, under no circumstances would we want them to be challenged in any way in the school environment. Therefore, we have the health and safety aspect of it and, equally, the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (11 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 more than 161,600 children, including 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...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I appreciate there are challenges right across society and particularly in our schools. In recognition of that, we have seen, as I have outlined, an almost 35% increase being made available to the Department of Education in the budget. We currently have €10.9 billion, which is the third highest allocation across Government Departments. On foot of that, we have seen a considerable...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy Canney. I appreciate his personal engagement on this matter. In the context of permanent increases, €21 million was secured in the budget. From 2024, that €21 million is ensuring the rate goes from €183 per pupil to €200 per pupil at primary level. That is a significant step forward in terms of a permanent increase in the core. Equally, other...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department’s voted Estimate for capital and current expenditure for 2024 stands at €10.9 billion. This represents an increase of more than €2.8 billion, or 35%, since 2019. As I said previously, this is the third highest allocation to a Government Department. It indicates the commitment of Government to education. In the lead-up to budget 2025, as Minister for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy Farrell. I appreciate it is hugely challenging for parents and for schools. Deputy Farrell specifically referenced parents. The Government has been very cognisant of that. The Deputy will be aware of the myriad of measures we have introduced in this regard. For example, for the benefit of parents, there is the free school books scheme, at a cost of €110 million,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department’s voted estimate for capital and current expenditure for 2024 stands at €10.9 billion. This represents an increase of over €2.8 billion or 35% since 2019, which is significant. This is the third largest budget across government, and the largest ever investment in our schools. It indicates the strong commitment to investment in education by this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department’s voted estimate for capital and current expenditure for 2024 stands at €10.9 Billion. This represents an increase of over €2.8 Billion or 35% since 2019. This is the third largest budget across Government, and the largest ever investment in our schools. This indicates the strong commitment to investment in education by this Government. In the lead up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.9 billion to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. The Minor Works Grant for primary and special schools is one important element of a record level of capital investment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: A school building project at the school to which the Deputy refers has recently been completed. The project was delivered as part of my Department’s Modular Accommodation Programme and involved reconfiguration of existing classrooms to facilitate the establishment of 2 special classes and the provision of modular accommodation for the displaced mainstream classroom accommodation. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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 2023/2024 school year over 161,600 children were transported daily to schools throughout the country. This figure comprises over 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 Jul 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 those with special educational needs, is an absolute priority for my Department. Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.9 billion in our schools, involving the completion of over 900 school building projects....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education, or RSE, and Social, Personal and Health Education, or SPHE, is an important right for students. For this reason, RSE and SPHE curriculums are a core part of the student experience at both primary and post-primary level. Furthermore, recognising that it is essential that students have access to relevant and up-to-date information, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The role of schools within communities is crucial and I wish to acknowledge the huge contribution being made daily by all school leaders in the operation of our schools. My Department provides time that teaching principals may take as release time in order to help them fulfil their principal duties. Under these arrangements the Department pays for a substitute teacher so that a teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The number of students enrolled in our education system is something I and my Department keep under constant review. The requested data in tabular form will be sent to the deputy directly. Primary school enrolments in Ireland peaked in 2018, reaching 567,772 students. However, there has been a steady decline each subsequent year, with enrolments dropping to 558,143 by the 2022/23...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Setanta Special School is part of a large-scale capital campus project together with Ballyowen Meadows Special School, to be co-located on campus at the existing site in Stillorgan. The project brief was to provide 2 ten classroom special schools with General Purpose hall and all associated ancillary accommodation on the same site. The project is included in my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Planning for school provision takes full account of local dynamics, including faster growth in urban areas linked to residential development. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas. The Department uses a Geographic Information System, which facilitates the analysis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (11 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to assure the Deputy that the provision of appropriate accommodation for pupils with special education needs is an absolute priority for my Department. In order to make accommodation provision to meet the needs of students with special education needs, my Department has close engagement with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which has responsibility for coordinating and...