Results 2,761-2,780 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy, will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school with accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project is being delivered under my Department’s Design & Build programme. A Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued to the successful contractor on 31/05/24, which will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 335 together. 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, my Department divides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is not directly involved in collaborations between individual post-primary schools and third-level institutions in relation to preparing students for the transition to further or higher education. However, Section 9(c) of the Education Act (1998) states that a school shall use its available resources to “ensure that students have access to appropriate guidance to assist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 339 together. aims to increase and diversify the range of languages taught and learned. An interim progress report was published in March 2024. One achievement under the strategy was the introduction from September 2020 of four new leaving certificate curricular languages – Mandarin Chinese, Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese. These new languages...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise that approval under the Additional School Accommodation scheme issued to the school in question for the provision 2 X Modular Mainstream Classrooms. My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working with the school to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines. The project was being reviewed from both a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (11 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: School Accommodation (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme since 2021, from the school in question. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question. The school’s application for capital funding was assessed and the Department made a decision to broaden the scope of the project taking in to consideration the future needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 350 together. Faigh iniata na sonraí iarrtha, a chuimsíonn gach scoil lán-Ghaeilge agus cibé an bhfuil siad lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht nó lasmuigh de. Baineann na sonraí a chuirtear ar fáil leis an mbliain acadúil 2022-2023, an bhliain is déanaí a bhfuil sonraí rollaithe deiridh againn dó....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (11 Jun 2024)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 May 2024)

Norma Foley: In 2024 over €47 million is allocated to continue implementation of the free schoolbooks scheme at primary level. On the 8th May I announced details of year 2 of the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme which provides at a minimum, free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks to all pupils enrolled in recognised primary and special schools. More than 555,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 May 2024)

Norma Foley: New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place. The arrangements in this regard include criteria which place a particular emphasis on parental patronage and language preferences and an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The projects to which the Deputy refers have been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. There are six projects in Project Boyne. They are all currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process. They have all received planning permission from their local authority, and the Design Team for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 May 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. Improvements to teacher allocations in recent budgets has seen the average allocation to schools reduce to 23:1 while allocations to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools, such as the one referred to by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 May 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: School Funding (30 May 2024)

Norma Foley: In 2024 over €47 million is allocated to continue implementation of the free schoolbooks scheme at primary level. On the 8th May I announced details of year 2 of the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme which provides at a minimum, free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks to all pupils enrolled in recognised primary and special schools. More than 555,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools of Music (30 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that Newpark Academy of Music is a private school that does not fall under the remit of the Department of Education. It was using an old vacated building on a secondary school campus that is in State ownership. This building has not had investment in recent years and has significant issues with its condition. These condition issues were most recently assessed by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (29 May 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, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 64 together. At primary level, teachers are allocated to schools at an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. DEIS Urban Band 1 schools receive an average allocation of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. Each one point improvement in the staffing...