Results 6,681-6,700 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The Emergency Works application to which the Deputy refers has been assessed by my Department. I wish to advise the Deputy that approval for these works has not been granted as they did not fall within the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme. The main purpose of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme is to provide for unforeseen emergencies that impact on school buildings. An emergency is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all pupils. It is important that the school management authority requests parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval for the provision of a 100m2 Modular building under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme. The school authority has submitted a request for the second drawdown of available funding. Following a review of this request, My Department has approved the issue of the payment in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from Knocknagree National School, Mallow, Co. Cork. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (4 Jul 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 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: Departmental Records (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Payroll Division of my Department provides information to teachers regarding their pay and teaching service, when requested to do so, including statements of earnings and statements in relation to their teaching service. A statement of teaching service includes details of the dates in which teachers were employed in schools, for whom teacher salaries are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: Currently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL), which serves 693 schools. The scheme is delivered by 530 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or clusters of schools, catering for approximately 207,000 pupils. The HSCL scheme seeks...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The completion contract for the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award. The Invitation to Tender was issued and tender returns are awaited, subject to no issues arising, the project is estimated to be on site in Quarter 4 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: Officials from my Department recently met with representatives to discuss proposals for the introduction of a teacher relocation scheme. The Department is giving further consideration to this matter and will be in contact with representatives in due course. It should be noted that the Department meets on a regular basis with the school management bodies and the teacher unions on many...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Policy (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department has been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country. Following the introduction by the Department of a bursary to support Trainee Educational Psychologists in their third year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the areaSchool of choice –...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2023)

Norma Foley: The project the Deputy refers to has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a bundled school building programme. 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 programme...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I agree; this is a landmark moment in education. It is the right thing to do. A huge financial investment is involved, but we had to take the first step and the Department deemed it appropriate that that would relate to primary education. I am conscious of the benefit the scheme provides for parents and guardians because I meet them frequently and visit schools throughout the country. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Enrolments (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses 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...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank all Deputies. I reiterate that more than 300 building projects are under way, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools across the country. Twenty-five of those school buildings are based in County Cork. That is almost 9%. A further 1,000 school building projects are in the pipeline at various stages, of which 165 are in Cork, which is almost 17% of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Deputy O'Connor referred to Carrigtwohill, which I am familiar with, as he said, and the need for further development in that east Cork area. Looking at east Cork, it includes Christian Brothers School, St. Colman's Community College and St. Mary's High School Midleton as part of the programme.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Could I have the floor? Pobalscoil na Tríonóide in Youghal, Coláiste Muire and Carrignafoy Community College in Cobh and Dromahane National School in Mallow are part of the programme. I did not mention the Patrician Academy in Mallow. Scoil An Athar Tadhg in Carrignavar and Ringaskiddy Lower Harbour National School are part of the programme. I am saying there is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I think they will be getting worried to hear Deputy O'Sullivan is crossing into a different constituency. As Minister, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. The Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I want to confirm that the provision is for all of our primary schools and special schools. There is no question. They are all included in it. Where there might be a need for additional resources or if the school finds it has additional students, or whatever the case might be, then as we have said in the guidelines that went out to the schools, direct contact has been...