Results 3,461-3,480 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Gross expenditure on the order of €131 million was incurred by my Department on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools in the 2022/2023 school year. Capital supports (building-related and ICT grants) are also available to such schools totalling over €0.5 million in 2023. In addition, specific Covid-19 grant...

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

Norma Foley: The Department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the Minor Works Grant would be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary schools, including special schools. In recent years my Department’s approach has been to pay the Minor Works Grant to primary schools in advance...

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

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. As part of Budget 2024, I announced a major investment of over...

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

Norma Foley: Currently the Department’s preliminary data for schools under the Free Education Scheme 2023-2024 indicates there are 558,143 learners in recognised primary and special schools and 406,392 students in post-primary schools. Based on these preliminary figures, the cost of restoring the school libraries fund by €10 per child in academic year 2024-2025 and increasing this by a...

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

Norma Foley: Currently the Department’s preliminary data for schools under the Free Education Scheme 2023-2024 indicates there are 558,143 learners in recognised primary and special schools and 406,392 students in post-primary schools. If there was an allocation of €10 per child that would be in the region of €10,000,000 per annum. Furthermore, the estimated additional costing in...

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

Norma Foley: Estimated first and full-year cost of increasing the guidance counselling funding by 5%, 10% and 20% respectively, in tabular form attached. Guidance Post 2024/25 Funding Increase Average annual cost of teacher Estimated cost for year 1 948.4 5% €53,870.00 €.83m 10% ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: There are four state-funded higher education institutions (HEIs) providing primary initial teacher education (ITE) and one independent private provider of primary ITE. The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council’s Céim:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Under Article 42 of the Constitution, the State acknowledges that the primary and natural educator of the child is the family. The State guarantees to respect the right and duty of parents to provide, according to their means, for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children. Parents are free to provide education in their homes, in private schools, or...

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

Norma Foley: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an admissions policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. Under the provisions of the Act, school admission policies are approved by the Patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending...

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

Norma Foley: I recently announced €50 million in grant funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) , which will issue shortly to all recognised primary, special Schools and post-primary schools. This ICT funding is being provided to schools to help them continue to use digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment and which represents the second tranche of ICT...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation 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 cater for pupils enrolled each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs. The Department engages intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This...

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

Norma Foley: The large-scale capital project referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The tender report is under review by my department, the next step in the process...

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

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a shared educational campus project at Swords Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9. This important project, when complete, will deliver two 1,000 pupil post-primary schools and accommodation, including six classrooms, for children with special educational needs and an eight classroom primary school and...

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

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project at the schools referred to by the deputy, to provide 2 New 10 classroom Schools, a clinic, activity rooms, assembly hall/general purpose room, playgrounds and sensory gardens, is at Architectural Planning Stage 4 - Construction. The project commenced on site in May2023. Due to the presence of live ESB wires on the site, the Design team and the contractor...

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

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. As you are aware, on the 5th of March, I announced details of a new...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding for new windows under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS), and this was approved. Following tender approval the design of the window was submitted by the Board of Management, however this did not comply with the Department's technical guidance documents in relation to the provision of background ventilation. A revised design was...