Results 2,501-2,520 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the opportunity to express my support for the EU migration and asylum pact. Migration has been always with us and has been always a part of the fabric of our life here. We in Ireland have a particular affinity with the United States, for example, and so many of our people went to the United States when times were very difficult here in Ireland, so we in Ireland have an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 Jun 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 Staff (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Teaching allocations are determined by the enrolment of the school on the previous 30th September. This process enables the Department to have in place the necessary measures to assess the accuracy of returns and thereby strengthen the integrity of the resource allocation process and the equitable treatment of schools, whilst ensuring that publicly funded resources are properly allocated. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (19 Jun 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. As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (19 Jun 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: School Facilities (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The school under reference in Fermoy was established in 2018 under the patronage divestment process. Fermoy was one of a number of areas surveyed in 2012/13 under the patronage divesting process, where there was sufficient parental demand supporting changes in school patronage. The areas surveyed were areas where demographics were not growing and therefore it was unlikely that a new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together. The accommodation on the school site referred to by the Deputy are both rented modular units and purchased modular units, which were vacated on the recent completion of the new school building for the school in question. The rented units are in the ownership of a modular supplier and the Department is no longer paying rent in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department recognises the importance of the Minor Works grant to primary and special schools. Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the Minor Works grant would be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary and special schools.? In recent years my Department’s approach has been to pay the Minor Works grant to primary and special schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 46 together. As both questions from the Deputy are in relation to a similar topic related to Section 29 Appeals, I will combine the two questions and issue one reply that addresses both questions. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 as inserted by Section 7 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 provides for an appeal, where a board of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Trade Unions (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 48 together. Budget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in Education and Schools in Budget 2024 which includes an increase of €421 million in core current funding, as well as over €80 million in core capital funding. These additional funds build on significant increases in recent budgets and further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (19 Jun 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: Trade Unions (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Regarding plans for increasing Irish-medium school places in the South Dublin area, which encompasses the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas, it should be noted that the year of establishment, patronage model and language of instruction have yet to be determined for the new post-primary schools announced to serve the following school planning areas in the general South Dublin area: Dublin 2_Dublin 4...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the deputy refers has submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS). This application has recently been approved and the school has been informed in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved funding for a large scale major building project. The project is devolved for delivery to Cavan & Monaghan Educational Training Board (CMETB). I am pleased to advise that this project is currently onsite. Construction commenced onsite in June 2023 and pending no delays or issues, it is expected to reach substantial completion in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The Large Scale Capital Project at the school referred to by the Deputy, is included in the Department of Education’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 an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The tender report review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the Deputy is devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The project will deliver a new 24 classroom school with a 2 class SEN base, including a GP Hall and other ancillary accommodation. The project commenced on site in October 2023 and pending no issues or delays, it is estimated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (18 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 800 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 (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural planning Stage 4 – Construction. It is estimated that the refurbishment works will be completed in early quarter 3, 2024 and as this is an integral part of the overall tender and the Contract awarded, it is not appropriate at this stage to provide the detailed cost information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. All schools have admissions policies, which were approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. It...