Results 5,321-5,340 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department continues to deliver on the priorities outlined in the Programme for Government to support students, staff, and families in the education sector. Library space is provided as standard as part of all new primary and post primary school buildings and as part of some school extension projects. The standard provision at primary school is a combined Library and Resource space...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: In June of this year, the Office of Government Procurement established a new arrangement to supply cleaning, paper, personal hygiene, and period equality products. The framework is available at OGP (www.buyerzone.gov.ie) . During development of the framework and at the request of my Department, it was arranged that it could also be accessed by any primary, post-primary, special or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2023)

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, 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. My Department’s Project Manager recently completed the Design Team appointments for this programme and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2023)

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, 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. My Department’s Project Manager recently completed the Design Team appointments for this programme and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in my 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). To qualify for an award of incremental credit, a teacher and their prior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a joint campus project with another primary school and a post-primary school. My Department authorised the Design Team to retender the project as the first tranche of tenders were deemed unviable. The Design Team applied for a new planning permission due to a change in the Planning Acts introduced by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (8 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: Is féidir liom a dheimhniú go bhfuil iarratas ar chóiríocht bhreise scoile faighte ag mo Roinn ón scoil a bhfuil an Teachta ag tagairt di. Is éard is cuspóir le scéim cóiríochta breise scoile mo Roinne ná a chinntiú go bhfuil cóiríocht riachtanach maidir le gnáthsheomraí ranga agus cóiríocht do...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not have any current contract with the specified company.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 429, inclusive, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I recently announced a school attendance campaign with a once off funding package of over €6 million to support and promote attendance in primary, post-primary and special schools. The campaign is designed to promote the importance of attendance at class or school level. It has been rolled out by Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) in conjunction with my Department and it will run...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 432 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools. The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:Psychological support in the event of a Critical IncidentA Casework Service for individual children where there is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration, the minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations. All initial teacher education (ITE) programmes in Ireland that lead to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: In accordance with “AI – Here for Good”, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland, my Department investigated the potential for AI (Artificial Intelligence) to assist in improving the delivery of customer services. A proof of concept to examine if AI technologies could support Departmental staff in responding to customer queries has been completed. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 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 provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students, including students attending Gaeltacht secondary schools, 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 Curriculum (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: Transition Year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities for life skills, personal, social and academic development and experience of adult and working life. Transition Year programmes are designed at school level and based on a multi-layered approach. Under the Transition Year (TY) Programme, the management authority of each school carries responsibility for making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The site identification and assessment exercise for the school referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and a potential property has been identified. An architectural consultant has been appointed to commence an assessment of this potential property. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time. I wish to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2023)

Norma Foley: The acquisition of the site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow is at an advanced stage of the conveyancing process. It is intended that this site will provide a permanent location for the school referred to by the Deputy. A major building project for this school is included on the Department's school building programme. This site is subject to an SHD application, which is currently with An Bord...