Results 7,441-7,460 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: On 5th April 2023, my Department advised that agreement has been reached to facilitate the progression of the school building programme. I want to assure you that our team are working extremely hard to ensure that schools are built as quickly as possible so that children and young people have access to a physical environment where they can receive a high standard of education and feel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Apr 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: Schools Building Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning ahead for the 2023/24 school year and beyond and also with particular regard...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (18 Apr 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: Education Policy (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665 and 666 together. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (18 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers. The criteria, reviewed annually with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early School Leavers (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Since 1 January 2021, responsibility for the administration of the School Completion Programme (SCP), transferred back from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to my Department. The SCP forms part of the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). Funding for SCP is provided by my Department via TESS, and TESS have responsibility for oversight of SCP. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is a programme that provides targeted resources to schools with the highest levels of educational disadvantage in order to support students and assist them to achieve their potential in education. The DEIS programme has been rolled out to a number of schools throughout the country. Where a school has a non-DEIS status, they are also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The recruitment of teachers is a priority area of action for the Department given the importance of ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have available to them qualified, engaged, and supportive teachers to support them in their learning. My Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers. The programme is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects and this was achieved again in 2022 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. The overall approach is to facilitate devolved delivery of school building projects with centralised guidance and supports provided and funded by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Mar 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 (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. My Department's published NDP allocation for 2023 is €860 million. Key priorities for my Department's work programme include continuing strong delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The reply to the previous parliamentary question referred to by the Deputy is reflective of the Cabinet decision on the review of the School Building Programme. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to capital funding pressures in order to continue to adequately support the operation of the school system with rollout of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: A major building project for the school in question has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council. Following submission of the Tender Report, the Department authorised Louth County Council to issue the Letter of Intent to the preferred tenderer. The Supplementary Tender Report was subsequently submitted to the Department in recent weeks and is currently under review. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that there are no discussions planned to allow Irish to be an optional subject at post-primary level. All children educated in Ireland are expected to have had the opportunity to study Irish to an appropriate standard. The Irish language is accorded special status in Ireland and is protected by various pieces of Legislation and in particular Article 8 of our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: It is really positive news for our schools that Budget 2023, through the Climate Action Fund, will enable the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output. It is intended the provision of the solar panels will be fully funded for schools. PV panels will assist schools with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The recognition of teacher qualifications is matter for the Teaching Council, the body with statutory responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession. If a person is not a registered teacher they will need to contact the Teaching Council. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my 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 Staff (30 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: For the 2023/24 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of a general average of 1 teacher for every 23 pupils, which is a historical low ratio. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the...