Results 7,701-7,720 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (22 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services, and will continue to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and the taxpayer. This has been achieved through series of national collective agreements applying across the public sector agreed between trade unions and the Government. The value of public pay...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: A major building project for the school in question has been devolved for delivery to Cavan and Monaghan Educational Training Board (CMETB). The Tender Report was subsequently submitted to the Department in recent weeks and is currently under review. The Department will make contact with CMETB following completion of this review. Running parallel to the review of this particular Supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: As Minister, I am committed to inclusive education for all. My Department is fully committed to creating safe and supportive environments in schools, that are welcoming and inclusive for every student. My Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (2019) promotes the provision of a whole-school approach to supporting wellbeing, an approach that has been found...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Civil Service (22 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: It is the policy of my Department to provide ongoing learning and development opportunities for staff in the Department. I wish to advise the Deputy that the specific information requested by him on the average number of training days per grade in the years in question is not readily available. My Department provides a range of training opportunities to staff, which includes Continuing...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I am very cognisant of the frustration that exists. Any project being paused is one too many, but we have considerable issues regarding the availability of capital. The Deputy referred very genuinely to the fact she was a student herself in one of the schools when the new building was first mooted, but I cannot stand over what has happened in the intervening period between when she was a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter . It gives me the opportunity to provide an update on the current position regarding a number of school building projects that are on hold from proceeding to either tender or construction due to capital funding pressures. The Department's capital allocation has always been under significant pressure. The Department has a strong track record of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out to the House the position with regard to primary school places in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 school planning area for September 2023 and onwards. As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses, as the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I again thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to outline the position regarding primary school demand in the Donaghmede-Howth-Dublin 13 area. As I outlined, the Department is already providing significant additional primary capacity in the area, on foot of forecasts of school place needs. This includes two recently established new primary schools. While the Department is aware of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I again thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position in respect of photovoltaics, PV, provision and to overview some of the ambitious sustainability agenda being progressed to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings. I sincerely acknowledge the Deputy's personal engagement with me on this issue. I acknowledge it is very close to his heart and I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline the current position in relation to the provision of solar panels to schools. I acknowledge Deputy Matthews's personal investment in this and his support for this initiative. It is a priority for the Government to deliver on Ireland's ambitious climate agenda and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, from the school in question. Officials from my Department have recently corresponded with the school authorities and on receipt of their response, the application will be progressed and a decision will issue to the school authority directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The site identification and assessment exercise for the school referred to by the Deputy is ongoing. Potential site options have been identified, including Minister-owned property. The Deputy will appreciate that negotiations in respect of site acquisitions are, by their nature, sensitive and for that reason I am not in a position to provide further information at this time

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides specific English Language support to schools with pupils newly arrived into the country that have English as an additional language. The school referred to by the Deputy has an allocation of 20 hours per week based on the number of new entrant pupils enrolled, as set out in the NE-EAL application form. The school has applied for EAL support for the 2023/24 school year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. Officials in my Department are currently liaising with the school authority regarding the application. Once the application has been assessed, the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Public Financial Procedures guidebook sets out that virement operates under the specific authority of the Department of Finance, which has since been vested to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR). As standard practice, my Department has sought and received DPENDPDR virement sanctions for all years since I took office. Proof of such sanctions is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The permanent school building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is a campus project to deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation for children with special educational needs. The campus project is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's school building programme and will provide a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms for children with special educational needs. My Department progressed 8 Design & Build (D&B) projects (Lots 1 & 2) to construction in 2021, with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The main focus of my Department’s 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 provision to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. My Department has also successfully supported and facilitated the enrolment of over 14,000 children from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The school accommodation ‘Project Nore' bundle is comprised of seven school projects which is devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). The "Project Nore" bundle is currently at Stage 3 which is the tender process. Tenders have been received and are being evaluated as part of the Tender Assessment Report. My Department’s Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (21 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. As set out in...