Results 6,361-6,380 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (29 Jun 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 has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Citizens' Assembly (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to establishing a Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education ensuring that the voices of young people and those being educated are central. The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use is currently underway and is scheduled to complete its work by the end of 2023. The establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly on the Future of Education and its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Jun 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 has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to recognised 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 grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing the larger schools national programme for the energy retrofit of schools and will play a key part of meeting delivery of the Climate Action Plan. The budget for the pathfinder programme of works from 2017 to 2023 is circa €110 million. The next step in relation to the decarbonisation pathfinder programme as detailed in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron, although this pattern is changing. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for our changing society. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to “achieve the target of at least 400...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department approved an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, for the school in question in June 2022. The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The school to which the deputy refers has been approved funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021 for the provision of 1 x 149m2 Engineering Room, 1 x 59m2 Engineering Prep Room, 1 x 80m2 Construction Prep/Store area & 1 x 119m2 Home Economics Room. Investment and expenditure on Gyms/PE Halls are an element of the overall School Building Programme....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: In this the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule operates on a general average of 24 pupils to every 1 teacher. This is a historically low level of pupils to teachers. Primary schools also have access to other non-mainstream teachers, including for example special education teachers and language support teachers. Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to make further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. As part of its remit, the SEC provides the scheme of Reasonable Accommodations which is known as the RACE scheme. This scheme facilitates access to the State exams by candidates who would have difficulty in accessing the exams or communicating what they know,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The curriculum from early childhood to senior cycle offers multiple opportunities for the development of digital skills and digital literacy. Reform of the curriculum across primary and senior cycle is underway which will build on these opportunities so as to ensure that our young people are equipped with the digital skills and digital literacy required to meet the challenges of the 21st...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Tá obair ar siúl faoi láthair i mo Roinnse chun polasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Tógfaidh an polasaí seo ar an méid atá bainte amach ag an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta, agus beidh sé mar chéim thábhachtach eile i dtreo ghealltanas Chlár an Rialtais a chomhlíonadh maidir...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Soláthar Iompar Scoile (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Is oibríocht shuntasach í an Scéim Iompar Scoile arna bhainistiú ag Bus Éireann thar ceann na Roinne Oideachais. Sa scoilbhliain reatha, iompraítear breis agus 149,000 leanbh, lena n-áirítear os cionn 18,000 leanbh a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu, go dtí bunscoileanna agus iar-bhunscoileanna ar fud na tíre ar bhonn...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Jun 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 has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and I am delighted that I have been able to introduce three successive PTR reductions in each of the last three budgets. Budget 2023 provided an additional €588 million in funding for education. This significant increase built on recent budgets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As part of the 20-Year Strategy for Irish 2010-2030, my Department is dedicated to creating opportunities to expand Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. This is proceeding in the context of the announcements in relation to the establishment of 47 new schools since 2019. The process to determine the patronage of these new schools pays particular attention to the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Information in relation to consultancy expenditure by my Department is compiled annually, in respect of the previous year, and published online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills- expenditure-on-consultancy/

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the site identification and assessment exercise for the new Ériu Community College is ongoing. Potential site options have been identified, including a Minister-owned property. The Deputy will appreciate that negotiations in respect of site acquisitions are, by their nature, sensitive and for that reason I am not in a position to provide further information at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is not in receipt of any applications from the school in question in relation to the purchase of land, or plans to extend the school building. It is open to the school to apply for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is not in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) scheme, 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...