Results 6,001-6,020 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I agree with the Deputy. There is widespread agreement that this is an innovative, positive and proactive step forward on climate sustainability. I acknowledge that it has been agreed between the Departments that the solar PV programme will be rolled out to schools in phases. I am pleased to advise that we remain on track to launch the first phase of the scheme this quarter. We expect all...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I appreciate there is unanimity from schools as well as from the House on moving this as quickly as possible. The GIS is an innovative move by the Department. It means that the uploading of quotes and streaming of applications will be done much faster. That will accelerate the delivery of the programme. On the finer detail, there is agreement that it will be done on a phased basis....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing these universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a targeted, equitable way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity and has benefits for students. As...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: At the outset, I want to confirm that my Department has a very strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings. This performance has been recognised at both national and, indeed, international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. The Department’s approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector is predicated on...

An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue, which will be raised by others during oral questions. The Deputy is correct that the announcement was made for the 2023-24 school year. I am pleased to confirm that we will be launching the first phase of the programme in the coming weeks. A significant amount of work had to be undertaken and not just by our own Department. The scheme is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to give an update on the review of my Department's 'Guidelines on the Use of School Buildings Outside of School Hours'. My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, and this has remained a core feature of the new Guidelines. My Department first published the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Following the National Census 2022 held on the 3rd April 2022 it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q4 of 2023. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, can be considered by my Department to inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both national and international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. My Department’s approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector is predicated on establishing a credible phased pathway to zero...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) 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. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received an application, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, is an important piece of legislation which has introduced a more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools. The legislation is part of a suite of measures taken to take greater account of the needs of parents and students in the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: This Government is intent on working to promote life-long participation in physical activity and sport for all sectors of society. The provision of Physical Education in schools is a key element of this, alongside physical activity in the school setting. Research demonstrates that increased physical activity among children can lead to improved cognitive function, better motor skills and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 2023, I announced a major investment of over €50...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both national and international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. My Department’s approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector is predicated on establishing a credible phased pathway to zero...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 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 2022/23 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 are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 2023, I announced a major investment of over €50...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: The designation of school sites to serve new and expanding communities is the function of Local Authorities through the statutory development plan process. My Department’s Statutory Plans Co-ordinating Unit actively engages with the Statutory Planning process to ensure that sufficient land is zoned to provide appropriate sites for new school buildings. It is within the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: Budget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in Education and Schools in Budget 2024 which includes an increase of €421 million in core current funding, as well as over €80 million in core capital funding. An additional €170 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living and COVID-19 supports. These additional funds build on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (17 Oct 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 43, 50, 55, 239 and 241 together. It gives me great pleasure to have secured €10.5 billion in total funding for Education in Budget 2024. This significant increase in funding ensures that the total budget is at the highest ever for our primary and post primary schools. The funding will ensure continued reduced costs for families; it will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 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 current school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services are being...