Results 5,461-5,480 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the Statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for the resurfacing of their playground. This application was rejected as it did not fall within the scope of the EWS. The main purpose of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme is to provide for unforeseen emergencies that impact on school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 Oct 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: School Transport (25 Oct 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: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy, was approved under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme for a 2 classroom SEN base, which has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. The project is at Stage 1 of the design process. A Stage 1/2A report was submitted by the school’s design team, and my Department’s Professional and Technical team have reviewed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department prioritises its capital funding for the provision of school accommodation to meet school place requirements, including for children with special educational needs. It does not provide funding towards the provision of accommodation for childcare or other non-school related services. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has historically...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 Oct 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: Schools Building Projects (25 Oct 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: School Accommodation (25 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers has been granted approval for the provision of 2 x Special Educational Needs classrooms under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and helps to ease the administrative workload for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (24 Oct 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: Disadvantaged Status (24 Oct 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 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 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. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support its implementation, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021. The previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 saw overall...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Through Project Ireland 2040, we are investing at least €5 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. My Department has a proven track record of delivery. During the period June 2020 to date, 140 projects were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that this feasibility study has been completed and my Department is currently considering the optimum means to provide a new school building for St Finian’s Community College. In this regard, my Department has and will continue to work closely with the school authority, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school authority in question The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, my Department issued approval to the school authority in question for the provision of three special classrooms and ancillary accommodation. 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 be provided as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy forms part of a campus project to deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and a new 16 classroom primary school, including accommodation 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Oct 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: School Textbooks (24 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Earlier this year, I announced details of Ireland’s first national primary free school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks, in recognised primary schools and special schools from this September. The total investment, of over €53 million, significantly increases the funding for school books previously provided to all recognised primary...