Results 2,481-2,500 of 19,925 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: As part of Budget 2023, I announced a major investment of over €50 million to provide free schoolbooks in recognised primary schools and special schools. This was a landmark moment in Irish education and one that furthers our goal to provide free education for all and ensure that every child can benefit from free education. In 2024 over €47 million was allocated to continue...

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

Norma Foley: The Department of Education publishes details of the total number of teachers appointed to primary schools, and to Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive post primary Schools each year, and this information is available at gov - Teacher Statistics (www.gov.ie) . My Department does not currently collate, or publish, details of appointments on a per County basis and therefore the...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers, is part of a campus project for two schools in Wexford. The project is devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). The Design Team for the project are currently progressing through the Stage 1 of the architectural process (preliminary design) and will submit the Stage 1 Report to the Department in due course....

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 at Architectural Planning Stage 4 - Construction. Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to a number of unforeseen site issues, and additional delays in relation to the relocation of ESB wires, which were outside the control of my Department, the campus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Jul 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. I can assure the Deputy that the necessary funding...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the school in question was approved as a single-stream, eight class primary school and accommodated in a property leased by the Department. Although sanctioned as an eight classroom school the school grew its enrolments to nine mainstream classes. The Department approved the provision of modular accommodation on the school site to meet this additional need as...

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

Norma Foley: 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. 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...

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: School Equipment (23 Jul 2024)

Norma Foley: The first phase of the Schools PV Programme was launched on 23rdNovember 2023. It provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar PV, which equates to approximately 16 solar panels and offers an opportunity for schools to reduce their carbon emissions and their energy costs. Each school which has been approved for funding under the programme is required to inform...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support schools over the period of the strategy with this funding committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). My Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of...

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

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is committed to providing schools at both primary and post-primary level with as much detail regarding grants, grant amounts and expected payment timeframes for each academic year as far in advance as is practicable. For the 2024/25 academic year, officials in the Department are currently considering the presentation of schedules for grants that should include, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (23 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 Admissions (23 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. As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a...

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...