Results 2,361-2,380 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Relations (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department received a report of a Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) working group in March 2023 that proposed the creation of a national relocation scheme. The proposed scheme envisages that teachers could identify the locations that they would like to relocate to through a portal and then effectively “swap” with teachers in that location. Officials of my Department...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the six large scale projects being delivered for Project Boyne will be delivered across schools in counties Carlow, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) on a devolved basis for the Department. These six projects for Project Boyne are currently at Stage 2b. The Department has issued authorisation to NDFA for the completion of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (2 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 children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department. The Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Greystones. Following consultation with Patrons...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: Applications for Home Tuition September 2024 have not been received to date, these should begin to be submitted to the Department in the coming weeks. Please find attached data relating to Home Tuition Supports approved for each of the past five years in tabular form. The Home Tuition Grant Scheme is available to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 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: Introduction of a professional master’s of education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 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...

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

Norma Foley: The building project for Setanta Special School 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 Building Unit are monitoring progress closely...

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

Norma Foley: The Leave of Absence following Assault Scheme is contained in the Department’s Circular Letter 0061/2017 for teachers and 0062/2017 for SNAs. It provides for special leave with pay (subject to specified limits) to a teacher or special needs assistant who is unable to perform their duties due to a physical injury following an assault that happened in the course of their duties and...

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

Norma Foley: The large-scale capital project at the school is included in my Department’s construction programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award, the tender report for the main contractor was reviewed by my Department, and the...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together. The target for multi-denominational provision is the Programme for Government commitment of 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030. In the last number of years there has been considerable progress towards increasing the number of multi-denominational schools with 51 of the 52 new primary schools and 45 of the 51 new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The data requested by the Deputy is to follow.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational...

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

Norma Foley: My Department actively engages with primary and post-primary schools to support pupils’/students’ learning, progression and accomplishment, through effective policies for curriculum provision and robust assessment arrangements at classroom, school and at system levels. My Department oversees the conduct of National Assessments of Mathematics and English Reading (NAMER) on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (2 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The Director of Schools position was established in ETBs in 2015. There is no requirement under the specifications of the position, and no statutory requirement, for a Director of Schools in an ETB to have fluency in the Irish language.

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

Norma Foley: I refer to your recent correspondence to the Minister for Education, Ms. Norma Foley TD, regarding the status of a Special Needs Assistant (SNA) who is currently availing of the Sick Leave Scheme. The terms and conditions of the Sick Leave Scheme for SNAs are detailed in and are consistently applied across the Public Service regardless of the individual Sector. The main entitlements...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the school in question was approved a brief of accommodation to deliver 1x Science Lab & prep area: 1x Tech Graphics/DCG room & tech prep, 1x Construction Studies & project store and 1x Music and toilets. This is currently at stage 2b with the Departments delivery area. I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (27 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that rental accommodation had been approved by my Department for the school in question. The rental company are due to connect the necessary utilities and carry out final checks before the accommodation can be used by the school. The school authorities are working with the accommodation provider on these matters and my officials have been informed that this is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme is to give students who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged. The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on my Department’s website at -...