Results 4,961-4,980 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: There are different types of grants that can be provided. There were grants previously for STEM, digital clusters, etc. Specifically on STEM grants, there was a phenomenal uptake. Some €1.5 million was made available. That was announced at the time as part of the application process. The overall cost of the grants would have amounted to €25 million had all applications been...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Fair enough; that one is gone. The Cathaoirleach can give us the details and we will look at it from a planning and building point of view. Yet, just to be fair, that is probably the first step-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Are the two schools the Deputy has referenced both in Shannon?

Services for those Seeking Protection in Ireland: Statements (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teach as ucht an ama agus an deis seo a thabhairt dom. I thank the House for the opportunity to discuss the co-ordination and response in the education area to those seeking protection here in Ireland. My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person is actively supported and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jan 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. Department of Education regulations allow for the appointment of an unregistered person by a school in limited exceptions where a school has been unable to appoint a registered teacher in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251, 252 and 265 together. My Department implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which means that many allowances, including this one, were no longer payable to “new entrant” Teachers. Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Jan 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 on the 18th April 2023, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The Large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy, to provide accommodation for a 1,000 Pupil School, is at an advanced stage of the Tender process. In July clarifications were received from the Design Team in relation to the Reserved Specialist Tender Report, however further information was subsequently requested. Planning and Building unit officials are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (30 Jan 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 Newcastle. A critical next step for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (30 Jan 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: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: Budget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in education, which includes an increase of €421 million in core current funding, as well as over €80 million in core capital funding. An additional €170 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living and COVID-19 supports. These additional funds build on significant increases in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: 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 initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is not possible to commit to a date or a new round of funding at this time. As the Deputy will be aware, any future funding is contingent on the budgetary resources available to the Department and the priorities and demands relating to the budget.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 2024)

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: School Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars, 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers and 29/2007 for Post-Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that there were no payments to suppliers under the names given by her recorded on my Department's Financial Management System in the past five years to date.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Jan 2024)

Norma Foley: As you may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 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: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 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 to provide a 2 classroom SEN base. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. A Stage 1 Report was received by my Department. Additional information was requested from the school authority and I can confirm that...