Results 3,341-3,360 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (18 Apr 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. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Kildare county. As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. I can confirm for the Deputy that a project to deliver a new 1,000 pupil school building is planned for the school in question. The school has an enrolment of 256 pupils in 2023/24. In that context, this project will provide very significant additional capacity to address the post-primary demand in South Kildare, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Apr 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 contained a range of measures, including the introduction of a professional master’s of education (PME) incentive payment scheme, that demonstrates my commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (18 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: School Planning Areas and school catchment areas are not the same. The Department uses School Planning Areas to plan for school place provision nationally. The country is divided into 314 School Planning Areas for these purposes. The Department uses a Geographic Information System, drawing data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The project which the Deputy refers to was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) for the provision of 2 SEN base and central activities room. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a Stage 2b (post planning approval) report from the school. This report is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost...

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

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the major building project for Scoil Chiaráin Special School is a significant priority for my Department. While the original project brief was to deliver a new extension and refurbishment of the current school building, it was agreed, following a review by the Design Team to revise the project scope to deliver a new replacement school at the current site...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (18 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Government recognises the importance of a strong education system in supporting access for all students to Irish language and culture and its significant role in the revitalisation and maintenance of Irish in Gaeltacht communities and beyond. As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish language is a core subject in the national curricula for recognised primary and post-primary schools and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) for the provision of 2 general classrooms. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a Stage 2b (post planning approval) report from the school. This report is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in...

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

Norma Foley: As you are aware in early 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. To support its implementation my Department published guidance for schools on the new Junior Cycle Schoolbooks Scheme. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, includes an extension to the existing school buildings, decanting if required, necessary to satisfactorily develop the post primary school on its existing site to cater for an enrolment of 700 pupils. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and it has appointed a design team to progress the project. The Stage 2b...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (18 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together. 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...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The project will provide 2 mainstream classrooms, 2 classroom SEN base and early intervention unit. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and is currently awaiting approval to construction. My Department has a...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) for the provision of 3 general classrooms and 1 SET room. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently received a Stage 3 tender report from the school. This report is currently...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I have another commitment I have to leave for. I will come in now and stay for as long as I can for other contributions. I thank the House for the opportunity to be here. I thank Senators O'Loughlin and Byrne for proposing and seconding the motion. It gives me an opportunity to set out the range of actions being taken by the Department of Education to plan for and deliver additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. A tender report was received by Department Officials in 2023, in the course of the review it was noted that the planning permission was due to expire in early December 2023 and a new planning permission was required. We are liaising with the Design team in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the Language Support (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous years. All schools are advised in the first instance to review whether the needs of newly enrolled...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (17 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that officials from the Pension Unit of my Department are currently in contact with the person referred to in your correspondence in relation to her pensionable entitlement. Officials in Pension Unit expect to bring these matters to a satisfactory conclusion once the individual concerned completes the necessary forms.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Apr 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 (17 Apr 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 (17 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been approved for a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. This project includes the provision of 2 mainstream classrooms, 1 SET room and the refurbishment of 4 existing classrooms into 2 mainstream classrooms. The responsibility for delivery of the project has been delegated to the school authority. ...