Results 6,961-6,980 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge again that the common application system that operates in Limerick is a superb system and is one born of co-operation between all of the schools on the sharing of information. There is often a challenge where there are multiple applications across a number of systems. I want to acknowledge that in the first instance. I also want to acknowledge that, because of that system,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: To be fair, we have seen considerable progress in Limerick and we are also seeing very considerable investment by the Department in either new school buildings or additional accommodation. I have listed them for the Deputy, whether it is the 1,000-pupil school buildings for two recently established schools, Mungret Community College and Limerick ETSS, the new school buildings for Laurel...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Textbooks (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I believe it is crucial that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms and I know that I am supported by the Government in this belief. Since June 2020, and over the past three budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. The Government has been very cognisant of the demands placed on parents. She will be aware that this September the free schoolbooks programme will be rolled out in all our primary schools. We have had an expansion of DEIS with additional supports going into schools, and the hot school meals programme is being rolled out to our schools. School transport is another...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department has a considerable record in the delivery of schools buildings. More than 180 projects were completed last year to the highest standards. This year alone 300 school building projects are on hand, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects of additional accommodation of various types. Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion between now and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As I have outlined, the school accommodation project was approved in 2020 and it has devolved to the school authority. The project is at stage 1. I understand there site-specific challenges for the delivery of the schools building project. However, following a review of the project's design team submission by the Department's professional and technical officials the project proposal was...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I accept and the Department accepts the need for the building to progress. I want to be clear that it has devolved to the school authority. It appears there are site-specific challenges. It appears there were two outstanding technical recommendations for the site. They have been communicated to the school authority. We await what further progress the school authority can make. It has...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the positive comment the Deputy made across a variety of different levels. It is an important to note the school completion rate of in excess of 96% compared with an EU average of 84%, which speaks to the considerable achievement in this country on retention rates within schools. That is largely due to the considerable investment that has gone in. He referred to DEIS supports...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: We have more than 1,200 schools now in DEIS. One in four of all our students now benefit from DEIS supports. That is significant and we see its benefit. Keeping young people in school at a rate of 96%, compared with the EU, is quite an achievement. The Minister of State and I are very conscious about children and young people with additional needs. For that reason, we have a number of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government believes and is clear that a rise in the cost of living should never be a barrier to education. The Deputy will be aware that as part of the cost-of-living measures announced in budget 2023, the Government provided an additional €90 million to schools as once-off additional capitation funding. This investment, in addition to a range of other funds being made available...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Costs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be clear that section 64 of the Education Act, added to by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees in our schools. No fee can be charged for instruction in any subject that is on the school curriculum. There is absolutely no charge for education from that point of view. The Deputy referred to schools that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Disadvantage (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: During my time as Minister for Education I have shown a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage. The Department’s statement of strategy sets out the vision and mission of the Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach his or her fullest potential. It sets equity of opportunity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cost of Living Issues (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government is very aware of the impacts of rising prices which are a source of concern for society, and of course for those working in the education sector. Overall, the government has made €7.1 billion available to support workers and families affected by cost of living pressures this year. These measures include a top up to child benefit, universal credits applied to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Whilst the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is responsible for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations, I am very much aware of the importance for students, parents and education stakeholders of ensuring that the results for Leaving Certificate 2023 are delivered in as timely a manner as possible. While the SEC is not yet in a position to confirm the date for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The Primary Curriculum Framework launched on the 9thMarch 2023, sets out the vision; principles; key competencies; structure; approaches to learning, teaching, and assessment; and suggested time allocations of the Primary School Curriculum. The suggested time allocations are 5 hours 40 minutes at first to sixth class and 4 hours 40 minutes at junior and senior infants. A minimum curriculum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a proven track record of delivery, with over 180 projects completed last year within a challenging construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. This year alone, in excess of 300 school building projects are currently under construction, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools. Under Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, senior academics and other independent analysts have raised questions regarding the use of GDP as the most appropriate measure of the size of the Irish economy. My department published a paper on this matter in October 2022 to assist users of these statistics to understand this issue. This paper is available on www.gov.ie under OECD briefing notes. The paper...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: All schools in the country have responded in a hugely positive manner in response to the increase in enrolment of children from Ukraine and IPAS children. In the case of this school, my Department has allocated an additional three mainstream class teachers due to the increased enrolments of these children. In addition, the school has been allocated 50 hours per week to support new entrant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The voice of parents and that of children and young people is of critical importance to me as Minister and to my Department in all of our work. Children and parents are engaged with regularly, in a variety of ways, in relation to all significant policy being developed by my Department. To assist with ensuring that they have a strong voice, my Department provides funding to ensure that...