Results 7,481-7,500 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is a campus project to deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including four classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The campus project is being delivered...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. 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 1 teacher for every...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (29 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Work on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is currently underway in my Department. This policy will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education and will be an important next step towards achieving the Programme for Government commitment to develop a comprehensive policy on Irish in the education system. The policy will...

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

Norma Foley: As part of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of announcements on the establishment of 47 new schools from 2019. My Department has ensured that the process for deciding on the patronage of new schools affords particular consideration to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department's priority is to ensure integration and inclusion for all pupils seeking international protection in addition to ensuring full utilisation of existing school capacity. On-site education facilities do not assist those aims. Utilisation of each school’s existing capacity in the most flexible way possible will be key to supporting all children seeking international...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (28 Mar 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: School Transport (28 Mar 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: School Textbooks (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359, 360, 362 and 363 together. Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at ensuring that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: 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 authorities. Post primary schools employ teachers with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 400 together. The permanent school building project for the site referred to by the Deputies is a campus project to deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including four classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms, for children with special...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm a suitable site has been identified and the Department has reached an agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School. The school patron has been informed of the proposed location and will be appraised of any further developments as soon as it is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department issued approval, in 2022, for the purchase of modular accommodation comprising of 2 x 80m2 classrooms for Special Educational Needs (SEN), under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. My Department will release funding allocated for this project on receipt of the necessary documentation, from the School Authority, which is outlined...

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

Norma Foley: The site identification and assessment exercise for Wicklow Town ETSS is ongoing. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time. I can, however, assure you that the provision of a new site for Wicklow Town ETSS is a priority for the Department and that the patron body will be informed as soon as it is...

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

Norma Foley: As you will be aware, a major capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being addressed through the Department’s Construction Programme. This project is currently at stage 2b of the architectural planning process. 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...

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

Norma Foley: The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its...

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

Norma Foley: In July 2016, the Government launched a major initiative for Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to oversee the long term, social and economic regeneration of the area. The Mulvey Report entitled “Dublin’s North East Inner City – Creating a Brighter Future” was published in February 2017 and made a number of recommendations. As part of this response, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at ensuring that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme, which will provide free schoolbooks,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has been in direct contact with the Principal of the school in question in recent days providing an update on the matter in hand. Currently the Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. As part of its planning ahead for 2023, my Department is engaging with the Department of...

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that approval has issued recently, to the school authority in question, for the provision of 2 x SEN classrooms and 4 x mainstream classrooms The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme which provides the services of a Project Manager to assist the School Authority. This...