Results 4,961-4,980 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The designation of school sites to serve existing, expanding and new communities is the function of local authorities, in consultation with my Department, through the statutory development plan process. My Department’s Statutory Plans Co-ordinating Unit actively engages with the statutory planning process to ensure that sufficient land is zoned to provide appropriate sites for new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Nov 2023)

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. In addition to numerous actions I have taken in recent years to address...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: Earlier this year the Department received a report from a Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) working group. The report proposed the creation of a national relocation scheme whereby teachers would identify the locations that they would like to relocate to through a portal and then effectively “swap” with teachers in that location. The proposal included findings from a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to have the opportunity to outline some of the important work that will be facilitated by the funding I secured in this year’s budget. In Budget 2024, I secured additional funding of €6 million for the further implementation of my ambitious programme for the redevelopment of Senior Cycle. To progress this important programme, additional funding is being provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department is investing €5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department is investing over €5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects. Since 2020 we...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (30 Nov 2023)

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 and post-primary teachers. The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for review and accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education. Changes to the duration and content of initial...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: It has been agreed that School Transport Scheme services fall under the Transport Sector in relation to emissions reduction targets and reporting. Officials in the Department of Education are continuing to engage with officials in the Department of Transport in this regard. Site that are zoned for schools need to be appropriately located in order to maximise sustainable and active...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education provides a wide range of universal and targeted supports to schools to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential, including special education teachers (SETs), special needs assistants (SNAs), and supports from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). Supplementing the universal supports, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 and general up-keep, and the ancillary/Schools Services Support Fund (SSSF) grant to cater for the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to, was approved a project under my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme and responsibility for the delivery of this project has been devolved to the school authority. The school authority has appointed a design team and submitted design options in their stage 1 report to my Department. Professional and technical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The School Completion Programme, SCP, is a central element of Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS), a key policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. The programme is funded by my Department via Tusla Education Support Service, TESS, who have overall operational responsibility for the programme. At present, management of the SCP...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Nov 2023)

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, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education’s Statement of Strategy sets out the vision, mission and goals in order to provide an education system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It aims to ensure that our school system is open and welcoming for all students, regardless of background, and that in particular learners...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 335 together. The Programme for Government reflects the Government’s objective of continuing to expand the plurality of schools to reflect the full breadth of society. It sets out that “students of all religions and none should have access to education, regardless of their belief system”. The Programme for Government commitments in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Housing Provision (30 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services and will continue to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and the taxpayer. However, the Government acknowledges that the housing issue and the current price pressures in society present particular challenges and are a source of concern for all public service...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Nov 2023)

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...