Results 7,201-7,220 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. The funding provides good flexibility at local level to assist schools to manage and undertake works that support the operation of the school. On 11th April 2023, my Department announced €29 million in minor works funding for primary and special schools for the 2023/24 school year. To provide schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: No software applications from Meta Platforms i.e. Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, are contained on the work container of my Department's corporate smart phones. All my Department's official mobile devices and the apps which run on them comply with the guidance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This guidance is based on risk assessments appropriate to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (25 May 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: School Funding (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Currently the Department’s preliminary data for schools under the Free Education Scheme 2022-2023 indicates there are 558,133 learners in recognised primary and special schools and 406,457 students in post-primary schools. If there was an allocation of €10 per child that would be in the region of €10,000,000 per annum. As the Deputy is aware, once off funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (25 May 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: Residential Institutions (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, Caranua was established in 2013 to disburse the contributions of €110m (€111.38m including interest) provided by the religious congregations following the publication of the Ryan Report, by funding approved services to support the needs of former residents who, as children, suffered abuse in relevant institutions. As the funding available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 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 147,900 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: In 2018 my Department tendered for an independent external accountant to audit the 2017 financial statements of the Education Support Centres. The tendering process was carried out in line with public procurement guidelines. This practice has continued since then with the audit of 2022 financial statements currently underway. The accountancy firm currently contracted to do this work is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department issue funding to the Education Support Centres in three tranches annually following a detailed draw-down process and confirmation that the centres are in compliance with governance requirements. The majority of funding relates to the following categories:core grant (for the normal day to day running and operational expenses of the Centre)local course grant (for local courses as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Education Support Centres are independent statutory bodies recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998). Each Education Support Centre is responsible for preparing annual audited financial statements and submitting these to my Department. In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies each Education Support Centre should publish an annual report and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 May 2023)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will appreciate, the main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision. The immediate priority of my Department is providing new and replacement school places each year, to ensure that every child has a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 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: Third Level Education (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department are liaising with Mary Immaculate College and University College Dublin to finalise funding supports for students of the educational psychological doctorate programme who would graduate in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that there is an application for additional accommodation under my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme on hand from the school authority in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: In August 2016 my Department commissioned a review of the Department’s governance of Education Support Centres. The aim of this report was to provide assurance in relation to my Department’s governance and accountability arrangements for the oversight and funding of support services and Education Support Centres. Following a detailed review the Mazars report was finalised in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: The primary curriculum was launched in 1999 and much has changed in our society and in our classrooms since them. The redevelopment of the primary curriculum to take account of these changes and to best serve today’s children has been ongoing for a number of years. The Primary Curriculum Framework, which I launched in March of this year, sets out the vision, principles, key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that there is an application for additional accommodation under my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme on hand from the school authority in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (24 May 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department, through a variety of initiatives, continues to promote Irish in the education system and to support Irish-medium education. The Department is contributing to a number of actions in the Government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 and the 5 Year Action Plan 2018 -2022, that highlight the Department’s commitment in this area. The Irish language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (24 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...