Results 2,341-2,360 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 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 requirements, my Department has close engagement with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which has responsibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 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 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (3 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation Grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary Grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (3 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together. Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 210 together. The school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural planning Stage 4 - Construction. Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to unforeseen site issues at the outset, completion is now estimated at Quarter 2 of 2025. The Design Team and my Department's Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Teaching Principals I recognise the key role school leadership has in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive and accountable As a result of Budget 2022, I ensured that all schools with a teaching principal have a minimum of 37 Principal Release Days. i.e. one administrative day per week since September 2022. Schools with one special class have 4 additional release...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The person concerned is an employee of an Education & Training Board (ETB) and, therefore, it is a matter for the relevant ETB to ensure their pensionable employees are assigned to the correct pension scheme and that the correct contributions, as provided for in the relevant legislation, are deducted. Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) was introduced on 1 January 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide 6 mainstream classrooms and 5 SET rooms plus 1 admin/office.The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. My Department received a Stage 3 (tender report) which was reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective. All projects,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: This year my Department published “Forbairt 2024 Annual Statement of Priorities”, a statement of priority actions to be delivered in 2024 that elaborates upon and develops the strategic actions set out in the Statement of Strategy 2023-2025, which sets out the vision, mission and strategic goals that guides the Department’s work programme for the 2023-2025 period. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Family Support Services (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: This is not a matter for the Minister of Education.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the primary school referenced is accommodated in a property leased by the Department of Education. The school was approved as a single-stream, eight class primary school. In all instances, the Department works to ensure that school accommodation capacity is maximised to meet requirements in an area. In that context, the Department-leased property at is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the primary school referenced is accommodated in a property leased by the Department of Education. The school was approved as a single-stream, eight class primary school. In all instances, the Department works to ensure that school accommodation capacity is maximised to meet requirements in an area. In that context, the Department-leased property at is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I assume the Deputy is referring to recognised schools under the Education Act, 1998 and the reference to science subjects means primarily Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These three science subjects are optional subjects which students opt to take at Leaving Certificate level and significant numbers of students choose these subjects currently. The current syllabi for Chemistry and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. I can assure the Deputy that with regard to the new science curricula, I acknowledge that hands-on experience and access to appropriate facilities and time in laboratories is an important part of the science curriculum. My Department and I will continue to examine how schools can be supported in the introduction of the new science...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to parts i, ii and iii is outlined in the table below at heading, ‘Permanent Exclusions: All Post Primary.’ Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provided that the outcome for appeals lodged were required to be determined as upheld, upheld in part or not upheld. It also allowed for appeals to be resolved under a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below: Year Courtroom Challenges to Section 29 Expulsion Appeal Decisions Post-Primary Schools Section 29 Appeal Committee Decision Challenge Lodged by Outcome 2019 1 Appeal to overturn Board's decision to expel not upheld Parent ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219, 220 and 221, inclusive, together. In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services, the Home School Community...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department has an obligation to ensure that all Exchequer funds are accounted for and properly managed and that there is transparency and accountability in the management of public money. The Department contracted a company with governance expertise to conduct a review of the governance and financial arrangements applying in the National Parents’ Council post-primary (NPCPP). The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services, the Home School Community Liaison Scheme and the School Completion Programme. The three TESS strands...