Results 5,861-5,880 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (3 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, Budget 2023 included the announcement for the provision of fully funded solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with an output of 6kW for all schools. This funding will be made available from the Climate Action Fund at the discretion of the Minister for the Environment. This significant solar PV programme, will assist schools with their energy needs and costs along with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Please find the information as requested: Number of schools granted funds from the SWS in 2022 County Carlow 2 Cavan 16 Clare 11 Cork 43 Donegal 12 Dublin 3 1 Dublin 4 1 Dublin 5 5 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The criteria required to have incremental credit awarded to qualified Special Needs Assistants(SNA) is set out in Circular 0139/2006 and was agreed with the unions representing the Special Needs Assistants, School Management Representatives, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of Education. Contracts of Employment for Special Needs Assistants in the Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 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 Admissions (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Early Start programme was established in 1994 and is a one-year intervention programme designed to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. It involves an educational programme to enhance overall development, help prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage. Since the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (3 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 this year. Detailed guidance for primary schools on the scheme was published and issued to all recognised primary schools and special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My aim for Budget 2024 is to continue to deliver on the priorities outlined in the Programme for Government and to continue to support the students, staff, and families in the education sector. As a teacher I know well that a love of reading is one the greatest gifts we can give a child and of the value to our students of reading widely. Considerable progress has been made in promoting a high...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 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 Staff (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: In September 2012 my Department, following a Government Decision on the matter, implemented the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments by the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result many allowances, including the allowances referred to by the Deputy, were no longer payable to many new public service entrants including “new entrant”...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Ireland’s employment permits system is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment through the operation of the Critical Skills (CSOL) and Ineligible Occupations Lists (IOL) which track current skills shortages and surpluses in Ireland and the EEA. Occupations on the CSOL include those in IT, Finance and Medical, which are highly skilled professional occupations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2024 (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Over recent years, additional resources have been made available to our schools, including through the delivery of thousands of extra teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts, increased capitation in schools, enhanced supports for school leadership and improved staffing schedule and free school books in primary schools. My aim for Budget 2024 is to continue to deliver on the priorities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the School Authority under the Additional Accommodation Scheme for provision of an en-suite mainstream classroom. I can confirm that my Department has received the design report from the school. This report is currently being reviewed by officials in my Department. Following the completion of this review, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers is a campus project and has been devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). I am pleased to inform the Deputy, that the project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process and planning permission has been granted. My Department now awaits submission of the Stage 2b Report from the ETB. Once...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The schools referred to by the Deputy are part of a major building project to provide a new 24 classroom school building for Athenry Amalgamated NS which will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that a new school building for the school in question was completed in 2019. The new school provides capacity for a minimum of 1,000 pupils as well as accommodation for students with special education needs. In the context of meeting the demographic demand for post primary provision in this school planning area, additional capacity is proposed for two other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (3 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: Data Protection (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Please see below in tabular form the number of data breaches that occurred in my Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023, and the numbers which were reported to the Data Protection Commission (the remainder were deemed to be of no risk due to their nature and therefore were not required to be reported to the DPC). Year No. of Breaches No. of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is not in receipt of an application from the school in question for recognition. Private primary schools are not recognised schools under the Education Act, 1998 and therefore do not fall within the remit of the Minister for Education. The Department has no responsibility regarding funding or any other matter relating to private primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (3 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department is closely monitoring the situation in the UK with regard to the identification of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools and other public buildings. RAAC is a lightweight, ‘bubbly’ form of concrete commonly used in construction in the UK between the 1950s and mid-1990s. It is predominantly found as precast panels in roofs (commonly flat...