Results 6,381-6,400 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

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

Norma Foley: Staff from my Department participated alongside over 1,100 civil and public servants in the Dublin Pride parade on Saturday, 24thJune, 2023, under the theme ‘Proud to Work for Ireland’. In line with a number of other civil and public service organisations, my Department provided themed t-shirts to staff members participating in the parade at a total cost of €300 inclusive...

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

Norma Foley: Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding was to support schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment. The new Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published...

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

Norma Foley: My Department recently published “Forbairt 2023 Annual Statement of Priorities”, a statement of priority actions to be delivered in 2023 which elaborates upon and develops the strategic actions set out in the Statement of Strategy 2021-2023, which sets out the vision, mission and strategic goals that guides the Department’s work programme for the 2021-2023 period. The...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for asbestos removal works together with the installation of new flooring at the school, which was approved in June 2022 under the Emergency Works Scheme. The school contacted the Department in June 2023 to increase the scope of works under that approval. The main purpose of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme is to provide for unforeseen...

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 in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of the ASA 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 Textbooks (29 Jun 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. Earlier this year I announced the establishment of Ireland’s...

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: School Admissions (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department. In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252, 253 and 258 together. 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....

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

Norma Foley: The project the Deputy refers to has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of bundled school building programmes. The shared education campus at Celbridge is in the bundle referred to as ‘Project Liffey’. A letter was issued by the Department to the schools to advise that their respective school had been included in the...

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

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school place needs, 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 Ireland 2040...

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

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school place needs, 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 Ireland 2040...

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 seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the...

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

Norma Foley: The project referred to by the Deputy is a priority for my Department and it is our intention to progress the accommodation brief for this school as quickly as possible. In the interim, my Department has been working with the school patron to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation in place to meet the interim needs of the school, pending the delivery of the main project. Key...

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

Norma Foley: The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. The most recent bundle of projects including the school referred to by...

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

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department. In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical...

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

Norma Foley: Thank you for your inquiry. As you may be aware, funding for pre-school services is a matter for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has policy responsibility for school-age childcare. In general, capital funding by the Department of Education is reserved for the provision...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The Department has received the Stage 2a architectural report and it is currently under review. Once the Stage 2a submission is approved by my Department, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the statutory planning approvals. When these are in...