Results 6,821-6,840 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Currently, there are 17 school building projects under the Large Scale Programme and 30 school building projects under the Additional Accommodation Scheme are at various stages of planning and design in Co Kildare. Full details on these projects are available on my Department's website on . Arrangements in relation to after-school services are dealt with locally at individual school level...

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: 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: School Admissions (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: School Admissions (29 Jun 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: School Admissions (29 Jun 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: School Curriculum (29 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices when faced with a range of difficult issues, including drugs, alcohol and gambling. This is mainly done through the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme. SPHE forms part of the mandatory 'Wellbeing' area of learning at Junior Cycle....

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not have a fixed annual advertising budget. As policy implementation dictates, advertising can be sought to deliver specific policy objectives or legal obligations. In the period of time in question, this has included awareness campaigns on school transport, promoting the teaching profession, the reopening of schools during the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The overall aim of the Charter Bill is to improve the level of engagement in the school community by inviting feedback, comment and observation from the school community and by further developing a listening culture in schools. One of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (28 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 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. There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. The purpose of my Department's Additional School Accommodation (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 (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. Key priorities for the Department's work programme include continuing strong...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have developed a jointly funded school sector decarbonisation pathfinder programme. It is administered by the Planning and Building Unit in my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in partnership with devolved delivery support from Limerick and Clare Education Training Board. This Pathfinder...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the modular project, at the school referred to, is progressing and a request for funding has been processed. The school authorities can expect to receive funds in their bank account in 7 - 10 business days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme is to give students who are disadvantaged because of their remoteness from schools an opportunity to attend school on the same basis as students not so disadvantaged. The terms of this scheme are set out in Circular 16/2016 which is published on my Department’s website at: gov.ie - Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme () As per the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Circulars (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: Circular 0032/2017 sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school, and has been issued to the Boards of Management of all recognised primary and post-primary schools and to the Chief Executives of the Education and Training Boards. Under these measures, schools should select school uniform items which are generic and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 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. I am keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators and parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education prepares education expenditure data on an annual basis for the OECD publication 'Education at a Glance'. The most recent year for which expenditure per student data at primary and secondary level is available is 2019. Dataset: Educational Finance Indicators Indicator FIN PERSTUD: Total 2019 T: All INST_T: T: All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 329 together. Guidance counselling in post primary schools is holistic and may include personal counselling, educational counselling, career counselling or combinations of these. It is a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process and at moments of personal crisis. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Jun 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and...