Results 8,061-8,080 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The Large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 3 – tender action and award. The School is on Campus with another Special School and will be co-located at the existing site in Stillorgan. The project brief is to provide two new 10 classroom schools, a clinic, activity rooms, assembly hall/general purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise that the school referred to by the Deputy will relocate to an existing building currently occupied on an interim basis by another school while awaiting the construction of a building project for that school. In this regard, the building project for that school is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The project is currently on hold to proceed to construction due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 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 Admissions (23 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: School Transport (23 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 Admissions (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: 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. Major new residential developments in a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a number of policies and programmes which are supportive of afterschool clubs or activities for students at risk of educational disadvantage. DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is a key policy initiative of the Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2022/23 academic year there are over 1,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that 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 a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country, including North...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the Board of Management of the school. I can confirm that a Design Team was appointed by the school in March 2022. The Design Team is now preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design). Thereafter, it will ensure that the project obtains the necessary statutory planning permission, and will be responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 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. It is intended that the school will move to suitable interim...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The Design Team is currently preparing the Stage 2a report (developed design) for submission and the Department understands from KWETB that the report is nearing completion. It is a matter for KWETB, as the client for the project, to ensure that this is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that 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. High construction inflation remains a continuing feature of the construction sector for 2023. As part of its planning ahead for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Mar 2023)

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for each individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The deployment of teaching staff in a school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157, 158 and 175 together. 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,...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 167 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (22 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, the Department of Education is investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade...

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

Norma Foley: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is to provide a new 16 classroom school with a 2 class SEN Base on the existing site. The major project is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, which includes securing all statutory consents and the preparation of tender documents. Following a Request for Further Information, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (22 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...