Results 5,721-5,740 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the project referred to has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. The brief for this project is to provide an extension to the existing school buildings, as defined in the schedules of accommodation, decanting if required, necessary to satisfactorily develop the post primary school on its existing site. The Stage 2b report has been received and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Caretakers are valued and vital members of the school system. The majority of primary and post-primary schools receive assistance to provide for caretaker services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a caretaker under these grant schemes to support those functions, those staff members are employees of the individual schools and as such the responsibility for the terms and conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 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 (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers, was approved funding under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to carry out reconfiguration works for the provision of 1 SEN. My Department is aware that the school have secured a contractor to carry out these works. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and it is now a matter for the Board of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage3 – Tender Action and Award. The Board of Management and its Design Team are currently completing the pre-qualification process and the Invitation to Tender will issue to the shortlist of contractors as soon as this process is complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for major capital funding has been received from the school in question. Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. The priority of the Department continues to be the provision of required additional school places to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project for Tallaght Community School is included in my Department’s Construction Programme. The brief for this project is to provide a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and accommodation, including 6 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: In line with the arrangements set out as part of formation of the current Government, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department published Circulars 0024/2023 and 0031/2023 on gov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie) detailing the Home Tuition provisions for children without a school place. The purpose of my Department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. For...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Grant Scheme (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The purpose of my Department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. For children without a school place my Department administers Home Tuition schemes for: Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 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 Staff (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria. The final meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board, for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Complaints Procedures (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 (the 2022 Act), places obligations on schools as public bodies to have processes in place to facilitate workers in making protected disclosures. One of the changes introduced in the 2022 Act is the requirement that public bodies, which include recognised schools, maintain and operate internal reporting channels and procedures for the making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has provided significant capital funding to provide refurbished accommodation to a former school building to cater for the recently established school referred to by the Deputy. The refurbishment works was provided in two phases and provided high quality facilities comprising a total of 8 classrooms and ancillary provision including Quiet Spaces, a multi-purpose sensory room...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 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...

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (11 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the House this evening on budget 2024, and in particular to highlight some of its key features for children, young people and their families. This is a hugely progressive budget, which has its heart supporting individuals, families, communities and all sectors of society. In the short time I have, I will speak in particular to the budget...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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. There was an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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...