Results 3,441-3,460 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Caretakers are valued members of our school communities who carry out work vital to the operation of our schools. At present, the majority of primary and post-primary schools receive assistance to provide for caretaker services under ancillary grant funding. Under the February 2022 agreement the implementation of revised salary and annual leave entitlements for school secretaries is now fully...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was developed in partnership by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce Green-Schools. This Programme launched in March 2021 and was open to all schools in Ireland to apply for active travel funding and delivery. The programme is an initiative of the Department of Transport and is supported by my Department. The Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme for the provision of a one mainstream classroom and one special education teaching room. The responsibility for delivering the project has been devolved to the school authority. My Department provided advice to the school's Design Team on their Stage 2b architectural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Apr 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. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department’s demographic projections utilise various data sources, such as current enrolment figures,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Senior Cycle Redevelopment is an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education that will significantly enrich the student experience. The redevelopment of Senior Cycle will maintain the high-quality education system for which Ireland is well known and reduce the focus on terminal written examinations. Significant progress has been made on the Senior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (16 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 North Kildare. As part of planning for September 2024, data on applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my department has invested in the region of €4.5 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 31 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (16 Apr 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. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in the Dublin area. As part of planning for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy currently has planning permission and will, along with a number of other projects with planning permission, be brought to the level of employer-led design with a Design Team assigned to do so under the supervision of my Department’s Project Manager. The process of appointing the Design Team from my Department’s Frameworks...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna Lán-Ghaeilge (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Tá obair leanúnach ar siúl i mo Roinnse faoi láthair chun polasaí nua a fhorbairt don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tógfaidh an polasaí nua seo ar an méid atá bainte amach ag an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta agus beidh sé mar chéim thábhachtach eile i dtreo ghealltanais Chlár an Rialtais a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Apr 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 Enrolments (16 Apr 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. My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Galway City and surrounding areas. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Tackling road safety challenges is a cross-society effort. My Department and I are keenly aware of the important role that schools, and the education sector, can play in supporting road safety education and awareness.For a number of years, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has been involved in providing a comprehensive and integrated road safety education programme at all levels: preschool,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Homeless Persons Supports (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: During my time as Minister for Education I have shown a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage. My Department’s Statement of Strategy, sets out the vision of my Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It sets as a goal to ensure equity of opportunity in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Agreement has been reached between my Department and the HSE for the disposal of a site to the HSE for the location of a primary health centre. There are a number of elements in relation to this agreement that have been actively progressed by my Department, in conjunction with the HSE, and which are now being finalised. The matter is being treated as a priority and it is intended that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The number of educational psychologists currently employed in NEPS stands at 225 whole time equivalents across eight regions. This has risen from 206 whole time equivalents in 2021. This is the highest number employed in NEPS since it was established. Since the start of this school year, the NEPS service has expanded to all special schools, which is hugely important given the increased...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide 2 Mainstream Classrooms, a 2 Classroom SEN base and an Early Intervention Unit. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and is currently awaiting approval to construction. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 300 together. The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is assigned to my Department’s ADAPT (Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering) programme. This project is included in My Department’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269 and 281 to 283, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 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...