Results 5,821-5,840 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. These grants are based on recognised enrolments in September of the relevant school year. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school referred to was approved funding under My Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for 1 mainstream classroom and 1 SEN base, with delivery of the project devolved to the school authority. A design team was appointed and the project was approved to progress to planning. Subsequently, the school requested an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that there is an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation. At primary level, this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (5 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 Curriculum (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department works together with the Department of Health and other agencies to support students in the area of health promotion. My Department acknowledges the commitment of schools in promoting healthy lifestyle choices for students in a number of ways - through the curriculum, for example Home Economics, Physical Education and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE); through school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mother and Baby Homes (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, last June Government approved proposals for the delivery of a package of ongoing supports and services for survivors of abuse in residential institutions, relating to health, education, advocacy and trauma-informed practice. This package of supports was developed following consideration of the final report of the survivor-led Consultative Forum, along with other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department approved funding for the school referred to under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 1 x Mainstream Classroom and 1 x Special Education Needs base. The delivery of the project was devolved to the School Authority who appointed a design team to progress the project. My Department approved the design report submitted by the Design Team to progress to Planning. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department approved funding for the school referred to under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for 1 x Mainstream Classroom and 1 x Special Education Needs base. The delivery of the project was devolved to the School Authority who appointed a design team to progress the project. My Department approved the design report submitted by the Design Team to progress to Planning. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Modular accommodation is a feature of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) which describes a range of manufacturing and innovative alternatives to traditional construction. There are many benefits of adopting MMC in the school sector ranging from faster delivery of construction projects to minimising disruption in live school environments. My Department has established a Modular Framework of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available, my Department will arrange for this information to be sent directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, a permanent site to accommodate the school referred to has been identified at Garraun, Oranmore, Galway. This site is part of a larger landholding currently subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order by Galway County Council. The Compulsory Purchase Order has been submitted to An Bord Pleanála. The Board has indicated that it intends to determine the application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the decision-making authority in respect of the status of existing schools, including whether they are single or mixed gender, belongs to the Patron, subject to the agreement of my Department. New schools are established by my Department to meet demographic need and, generally, such new school provision (primary and post-primary) is mixed gender in nature....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (5 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: School Funding (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together. My Department provides 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, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary to cater for the cost of employing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The demand for the provision of responsive services to support the mental health of children and young people in Ireland is increasing, particularly in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and reported associated increased levels of anxiety.The provision of child and adolescent mental health services in Ireland lies specifically within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Earlier this year I announced the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this new measure. Detailed guidance for primary schools on the scheme was published and issued to all recognised primary schools and special schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has committed itself to revising annually the allocation of Posts of Responsibility (PORs) to take into account retirements during the school year. This has ensured that the current level of PORs is maintained in the school system. New POR threshold tables are produced each year to distribute these PORs equitably across all schools. My aim for Budget 2024 is to continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (5 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (4 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...