Results 7,601-7,620 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Apr 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 and Training Provision (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 263 together. A working group in the Department has been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country. To address supply issues in the medium to long...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Redress Scheme operated by the Residential Institutions Redress Board which was in place for people who had suffered abuse in a number of scheduled institutions had an original closing date of 31st December 2005 but the Board were able to accept applications after that closing date where exceptional circumstances existed. Overall the board accepted applications over a nine year period and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I recently announced €29 million in minor works funding for primary and special schools. This funding can be used not only for the maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds but also for the provision of ICT infrastructure in schools. I am keenly aware of the challenges faced by educators and parents in relation to costs of digital technology,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is very conscious of the enormous trauma which has been endured by all survivors of abuse and how vitally important it is that survivors have the opportunity to be heard in full. The scoping inquiry I announced on March 7th, 2023 will shape the Government’s response to revelations of historical sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders and has survivor...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Apr 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 Transport (27 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: Legislative Measures (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Department is aware of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 referred to by the Deputy. The current position in the Republic of Ireland is that the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority. In accordance with Department Circulars 31/2011 and 44/2019, schools are required to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The redeployment arrangements are a mechanism used to fill teaching posts. Each Main Redeployment Panel is created for surplus permanent/CID holding teachers in order to ensure that vacancies are offered in the first instance to these teachers. Information on staffing and redeployment in primary schools for the 2023/24 school year are set out in Circular 0006/2023. The Main Redeployment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (27 Apr 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. A total of €280 million in Minor Works Grants and Enhanced Minor Works Grants has been allocated to schools between 2018 and 2022. The Minor Works Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to recognised Primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools are permitted to regard the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: More than €400.7 million of additional Covid-19 Capitation grant funding has been made available to recognised primary and post primary schools to provide for the implementation of infection prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 to date. As the Deputy is aware, the continued payment of Covid-19 capitation grants is determined by the prevailing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together. In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), is under the remit of my Department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government includes the commitment to ‘provide a range of free, adequate, safe, and suitable period products in all educational publicly-funded settings (including schools, colleges and HEIs), to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period poverty.’ The Government has also taken the decision in 2021 to support the Private...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 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: School Accommodation (27 Apr 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: State Examinations (27 Apr 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: State Examinations (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate 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 Transport (27 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: Departmental Contracts (27 Apr 2023)

Norma Foley: The Planning and Building Unit of my Department has not identified any current contracts with the construction company referred to by the Deputy.