Results 3,481-3,500 of 19,544 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) team are collating this information at present and the information will issue to the Deputy via a separate communication once this has been finalised.

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to recognised Primary schools by way of per capita grants which is based on school enrolment. 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. Schools are permitted to regard...

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: Gaeltacht Policy (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department launched the Policy on Gaeltacht Education as a strategic response to address the linguistic challenges facing Gaeltacht language-planning areas. Significant progress has been made across all aspects of the Policy since the commencement of its implementation. The Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme was launched in April 2017. 103 primary schools and 29 post-primary schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (16 Apr 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Professional Master of Education (PME) is a two-year, full-time Level 9 postgraduate professional teacher education programme designed to qualify graduates as primary & post-primary teachers. Changes to the duration and content of initial teacher education programmes were made in response to recommendations in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among...

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 Transport (16 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 Refurbishment (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, where the design team secure all statutory approvals and prepare the suite of tender documents. The Stage 2(b) Submission has been received in my Department and is currently under review. In order to assist with the review, the...

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

Norma Foley: Requirements for school places are kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources,...

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

Norma Foley: My Department recognises the importance of a healthy lifestyle for all children. The Primary Curriculum Framework was launched in March 2023 and draws on an extensive body of national and international research and extensive consultation, including with primary school-aged children. It outlines five broad curriculum areas one of which is the area of Well-being. Well-being incorporates PE and...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 326 together. Investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (16 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 contains a range of measures that demonstrate my commitment to continued investment in our education system.A professional masters’ of education incentive scheme will be...

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: Schools Building Projects (16 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, where the design team secure all statutory approvals and prepare the suite of tender documents. The Stage 2(b) Submission has been received in my Department and is currently under review. In order to assist with the review, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (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 15 and Dublin 7 areas. As part of...

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

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including four classrooms, for children with special educational needs. This project is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme and is currently at tender stage. The Invitation to Tender issued in April 2023, as part...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 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: Teacher Training (16 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. The recruitment of teachers is a priority area of action for the Department. My Department has introduced a number of measures aimed at attracting prospective students to teaching,...

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...