Results 4,741-4,760 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The allocation of an Administrative Principal is based on the enrolment in the school. The thresholds are set out in Appendix B of the staffing circular each year. Where a school with an administrative principal, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, has maintained the required enrolment on the previous 30th September, the additional position will be retained. Staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval under the Additional School Accommodation scheme has issued to the school authority in question for the provision of six classrooms. The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, is devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The large scale project provides for an extension to the existing school, the demolition of a section of the building and the refurbishment of some of the existing buildings. My Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM grant scheme was for all primary, post-primary and special schools within the free education system including DEIS. Given the 2,727 valid applications with asks of over €25m and the total funding available of €4.7m, a decision was made by my Department to run a lottery. The proposals were selected by lottery with the applications assessed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers, was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) scheme for the provision of a 2 classroom SEN Base and central activity room. A Stage 2b report was received in Quarter 4 of 2023, and is currently under review by officials in my Department. Once this review is complete, the school authority will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, officials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Dublin City Council on an ongoing basis in relation to the land swap for Gaelscoil Cholmcille. Department officials also provide the patron body with regular updates. Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education provides a payroll service to over 133,000 school staff in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. In 2023, the Department issued some 3.35 million pay slips to school staff and the postage cost was €2.99m. Between April and May 2023, the Department offered an "opt in" service via the Digital Postbox from which time school staff could choose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Neither my Department nor the State Examinations Commission has any role in relation to the mock examinations. Decisions relating to mock examinations are a matter for individual schools.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The application referred to by the Deputy, has been received and is currently under review by my Department. The review is expected to be completed shortly and Department officials will notify school authorities directly on the outcome and the next steps to progress this project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 675 and 678 together. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

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

Norma Foley: The sraitheanna pictiúr, or picture sequences, are a component of the common Irish Oral test for Higher Level and Ordinary Level candidates, with the Oral test accounting for 40% of the overall marks for Leaving Certificate Irish. In response to issues highlighted in National Council Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant scheme was an action in the new STEM Education Implementation Plan published in 2023. The grant was to support schools in carrying out projects to stimulate an increased interest in STEM and included an application process as with other STEM initiatives in the past such as the STEM clusters...

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

Norma Foley: As you are aware my Department is providing a payroll service for school secretaries with effect from 1stSeptember 2023. There are now over 2,900 secretaries on payroll. As part of the implementation of the pay agreement for school secretaries, salary arrears have been calculated for all secretaries eligible for the payment. These arrears payments were received through the payroll on the...