Results 8,361-8,380 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council, as the professional regulatory body for teaching, has statutory responsibility for the accreditation of initial teacher education programmes and for the registration of primary and post-primary teachers. Revised standards for the accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education, Céim – Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE), were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: For school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) 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 Ireland 2040...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have admissions policies, which have been approved by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: As part of my Budget 2023 announcement, and as part of the Cost of Living measures to be enacted this year, €90m is being provided in one-off additional funding to support increased running costs for primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme in dealing with challenges they face in light of rising energy costs. This will be paid at a rate of 40% of schools’...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The ETB sector has undergone unprecedented change in recent years.  Under the Education and Training Board Act 2013, the 33 VECs were dissolved and the 16 ETBs established. At the same time, major changes also took place in the coordination and funding of further education and training with the establishment of SOLAS in October 2013.  As well as integrating the further education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified. The current status of approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that following an extensive consultation involving parents, children, teachers, school leaders, stakeholder organisations and the general public on proposals to update the primary curriculum and consideration of significant national and international research in the area,  the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.  The introduction of modern foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: In February 2022, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, and which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot of the relevant members was undertaken, and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal.  Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is my Department’s whole education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is practical, inclusive and contains a broad range of actions which will help us all to work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The Creative Clusters scheme supports schools to build capacity in creativity.  A Creative Cluster consists of up to 5 schools collaborating on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an innovative arts and creative learning project which supports them to address a common issue or challenge, identified by that cluster.  Creative Clusters include schools at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: The BLAST (Bringing Live Art to Students and Teachers) initiative that I announced on 4 June 2021, provides additional opportunities for schools to collaborate with established trained artists, supporting our children and young people to collaborate and engage in creative and critical thinking - all crucial skills for their futures.  The aim of BLAST is to give pupils in schools all over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Feb 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283, 284 and 285 together. As the Deputy is aware, my Department has reached agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school to which the Deputy refers. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process has commenced and Head of Terms have been agreed with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Road Safety (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as road crossings, road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter , for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools to ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 295 together. The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the matter to which she refers and will continue to engage with the school patron in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Officials in my Department have worked closely with officials from Wicklow County Council under the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School. My Department officials also work closely with Wicklow County Council in relation to the designation of suitably zoned lands to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: Temporary accommodation in schools may be rented or purchased and funded by the Department or by the school authority itself, with or without Department sanction.  For that reason it is not possible to provide the Deputy with a complete picture in respect of all temporary accommodation at schools as requested. As the Deputy will appreciate, within the context of a rapidly increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 and 293 together. As the Deputy is aware, my Department has reached agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school in question. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process has commenced and Head of Terms have been agreed with the Vendor. It is not...