Results 6,981-7,000 of 19,559 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) 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,...

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

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf my Department. 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. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, Budget 2023 included the announcement for the provision of fully funded solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with an output of 6kW for all schools. This funding will be made available from the Climate Action Fund at the discretion of the Minister for the Environment. This significant solar PV programme, will assist schools with their energy needs and costs along with...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide the following accommodation at the school: 6 x General classrooms, 1 x Technical Graphics room, 1 x Woodwork room, 2 x Science room + shared Preparation area, 1 x Home Economics room, 2 x SEN Base, Ancillary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion providing supports to children and young people with special...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, investment and expenditure on General Purpose (or GP) rooms is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the School Building Programme. The provision of General Purpose (GP) rooms at primary, as well as outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is...

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

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The brief for this project is to provide accommodation for a long term projected enrolment of 1000 students, including 4 classrooms for students with Special Educational Needs and all ancillary...

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

Norma Foley: The Department does not require schools to include the NCCA-developed Religious Education syllabuses at Junior or Senior Cycle as mandatory subjects on their curriculum. Accordingly schools have discretion to determine if they provide the subject at all or if it is to be mandatory or optional in any particular class group or year. Section 30 of the 1998 Education Act provides that a...

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

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under the Department's ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction. The tender process to appoint the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 May 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% tickets issued to eligible...

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

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department is investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. Over the last 3 years this Government has invested €2.6 billion in school buildings. This is a record...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for the provision of 7 x General Classrooms, En-suite Toilet & 1 x Assisted Toilet, 2 x SEN Base & Purchase of Interim Accommodation of 1 x 100m2 General Classroom. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. My...

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: School Staff (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 112, 115, 355 and 382 together. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for each individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management...

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

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf my Department. 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. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (16 May 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 maidir le forbairt an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (16 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, Budget 2023 included the announcement for the provision of fully funded solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with an output of 6kW for all schools. This funding will be made available from the Climate Action Fund at the discretion of the Minister for the Environment. This significant solar PV programme, will assist schools with their energy needs and costs along with...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 120 together. The school building project to which the Deputy refers is included in my Department's Large Scale Capital Programme,The scope of work is to provide 16 classrooms, 10 SET rooms, GP room, a 2 CR SEN base and all ancillary accommodation. The project is currently at Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award. A Stage 3 Tender Report identifying a...

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school in question has been approved in principle, for nine general classrooms, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme via my Department's SEN Reconfiguration/Modular Accommodation Programme. Officials are currently at the final stage of assessment and expect to communicate with the school authority shortly.