Results 2,521-2,540 of 19,414 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: I should explain firstly that the the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) within my Department is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to...

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

Norma Foley: On 5th of March, I announced details of a new ground-breaking scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Special schools who have students enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive this funding. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools, will...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (18 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 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: School Transport (18 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 Admissions (18 Jun 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 and Department officials are continuing...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and it has appointed a design team to progress the project. The Stage 2b architectural report has been received by my Department and is currently under review from both a technical and cost perspective. My Department will revert to the school authority directly on the outcome and the next steps to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department has adapted to the dynamic landscape of student enrolment. This has been particularly effective in the context of the pace and volume of newly arrived students fleeing the war in Ukraine and the ongoing increase in students, who require EAL supports to fully access the curriculum. The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation provides a unified allocation for special...

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

Norma Foley: The 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 Equipment (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The first phase of the Schools Photovoltaic (PV) Programme was launched to over 1600 schools in November 2024. It will provide eligible schools with 6 kilowatts of roof-mounted solar PV, which equates to approximately 16 solar panels. The scheme is funded from the government’s Climate Action Fund, in line with the government’s recognition that taking action on climate change...

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

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The appeal submitted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school 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 education needs is...

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

Norma Foley: A sensory room in a school can enhance and promote the health and well-being of the whole school with a focus on both the culture and the environment. It is a designated area within a school which can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and can provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate, so they can be better prepared for learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (18 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures. It is open to a school authority to apply for funding to improve traffic safety on school grounds under the summer works scheme (SWS). As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the SWS is to enable...

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

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria, including one aimed specifically at small schools, to an independent...

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

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €4.5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 800 school building projects have been completed and 300 other projects are under construction. This level of construction roll-out recognises the priority that Government puts on investment in education. School building projects under construction involve an overall...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (18 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. Schools...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved a school building project under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for a two classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) base. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority. The project was practically completed in September 2023 although there remain some outstanding issues which need to be...

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

Norma Foley: The application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) to which the deputy refers, has already been approved by officials in the EWS area and the school has been informed in this regard.