Results 8,201-8,220 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I do not have a list available of the times I met with anybody, either individually or collectively. I can revert to the committee in that respect. However, I have certainly engaged and met with the president on a number of occasions, most especially with the advisory committee because that is the correct engagement mechanism. In relation to this issue, specifically, it would not have been...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: No, I did not say it was published.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: No.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Again, I want to be very clear. I am surprised the Chair would not share the view that it is important for any organisation receiving any element of State funding to make itself available to co-operate with a review in terms of governance. In this case, it had been offered an opportunity to do that over six to seven months but it refused point blank to engage to do so. This meant there was...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to acknowledge that the parent voice is hugely important. I have seen the benefit of it throughout the past number of years. There is no question whatsoever in relation to that. I also want to make the point that parents with children in primary school often also have children in post-primary school. However, that is neither here not there. The Chair suggested that all of the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I am telling the Chair that the council was requested to co-operate with a governance review.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I am replying to the point the Chair made in saying that all issues were addressed. I am not aware that all issues have been addressed. The key issue was the necessity to co-operate with an important governance review. That was not done even though latitude of six to seven months was allowed. It is not possible to provide funding to organisations that do not co-operate with appropriate...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The review was independent.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: No, the review was independent and it was important that it remain independent of me, as Minister.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: There was six to seven months of repeated engagement with the organisation and requests to engage and co-operate with governance obligations. Refusing to do so over six to seven months speaks for itself.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: That is fair enough. We will agree to disagree.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: If the governance issues had been overcome, the council would have co-operated with the review.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. I am not clear as to the inference the Chair is making about the officials within my Department. He might clarify what exactly he is saying.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: To be clear, I have absolute confidence in the officials of my Department. They have-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I just want to be clear. I have every confidence in the integrity of the officials of my Department and in how they have conducted their business not just with the NPCPP but with all with whom they engage. The draft review is now with the NPCPP. It is an independent process and for that reason it is not appropriate for me to meet with the council. It has an opportunity to comment on the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The interim proposal was made in discussions between officials of my Department and the primary school parents' group.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will recall that I referenced that at the outset when I spoke about Cineáltas. I acknowledged the committee's work.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: For the record, the Department did not purchase the site. It was purchased subject to planning and the project is now going through the planning process. There is an issue around that. However, it is my understanding that it was only purchased subject to planning. There is further-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: My understanding is that the site has been purchased subject to planning. It appears that there may be some constraints, difficulties or challenges associated with the site but the Department is engaging with the patron and the relevant body, the local authority or whatever it might be, in that regard. The process is ongoing but the site has been purchased subject to planning.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: It is important to acknowledge that there appears to be some challenges and that these will have to be worked through first. That is my understanding. I will look into the matter to see if there is any additional information that I do not have at present and revert to the Chair but it is my understanding that the site has only been purchased subject to planning.