Results 2,541-2,560 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I refer to your recent parliamentary question in relation to the provision of a psychological services to schools in the Achill area. My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. NEPS provides access for all schools to: Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 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: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The major building project for Setanta Special School is at Stage 4 with works progressing on site. Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion of 18 months. However, due to unforeseen site issues at the outset, completion is now estimated at Quarter 2 of 2025. The Department is closely monitoring progress to mitigate any further delay. Setanta Special School is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. The Council reviewed its policy on standards for programmes of initial teacher education and published updated standards in Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education in October 2020. Céim includes seven Core Elements which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to inclusive education for all. It is the aim of the Department that every child has access to equitable education and that each learner feels safe and happy in the school environment, at every stage. It is essential that schools are places of openness and welcome for all students irrespective of their background, gender, or ethnicity. They are places of inclusion....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 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 that can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate to be better prepared for learning and interacting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Under the Education Act 1998, all recognised schools are managed by the school board of management on behalf of the schools’ patrons or trustees or the relevant education and training Bboard (known as the management authority). It is the duty of the board to manage the school on behalf of the patron. In carrying out this duty the board is obliged to consult with and keep the patron...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has recently received an application for 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 available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (26 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 Staff (26 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: School Funding (26 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality, and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. In Ireland, all migrant children, including children of international protection applicants, children of migrant workers and unaccompanied minors can access primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 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: Schools Building Projects (25 Jun 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: School Staff (25 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: School Staff (25 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I refer to your recent correspondence to the Minister for Education, Ms. Norma Foley TD, in relation to supports for Teachers and Special Needs Assistants on foot of an assault in the course of their work. In accordance with Section 14 of the Education Act 1998, it is the duty of the Patron to appoint, where practicable, a Board of Management. The Board of Management is the body of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (25 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Following this extensive site identification and assessment exercise, a number of potential site options have been shortlisted for further consideration. This includes more detailed technical and economic appraisals of these potential site options. The Department is working towards securing the most suitable site for this school while ensuring value for money for the exchequer is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise that new schools are established by the Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm that my Department received an application from the school authority in question for the use of their school in connection with a pre-school service. As the Deputy may be aware schools themselves are free to decide if they wish to make their facilities available for the running of early learning and care and/or school-age childcare services, and my Department understands...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department has recently received of an application for capital funding under the Additional Schools' Accommodation scheme from the school in question. The purpose of my department’s Additional Schools' Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 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...