Results 8,381-8,400 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a suitable site has been identified and the Department has reached an agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School. Taking into account the underlying demographic trends and the level of potential increase in school place...

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

Norma Foley: The planned establishment of a new primary school in 2021 to serve the Bray/Woodbrook Shanganagh school planning area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. Further analysis has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of a number of planned new schools, including the school to serve this school planning area, taking into account a number...

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 he refers and will continue to engage with the school patron in this regard.

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

Norma Foley: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council's Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. Budget 2020 provided for the re-instatement of the grant to cover the full cost of the Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for...

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

Norma Foley: In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers at post-primary level. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The Action Plan called for the development of...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299, 305 and 307 together. In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 309 together. In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018. The...

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

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers. At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme...

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

Norma Foley: I understand the correspondence that the Deputy is referring to relates to grant support for initial teacher education students while on Gaeltacht placement. The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council's Céim: Standards for...

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

Norma Foley: New schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. 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...

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

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist.  Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers. At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment...

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

Norma Foley: The matter referred to by the deputy relates to an Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme project for the school in question. Department officials have recently been in contact with the school to address queries regarding the current status of the project. The Department has sought some clarification and further documentation from the school in this respect. Following receipt of the...

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

Norma Foley: As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide free books to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from September 2023. This measure will eliminate the cost to these families for all school books at primary school, including workbooks. It delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the free school book pilot, currently in 102 DEIS...

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

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).My Department is aware of the issue in the school referred to by the Deputy. Ensuring a sufficient supply of qualified teachers is a priority area of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (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: 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 where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Feb 2023)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 314 together. 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...

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

Norma Foley: The National Development Plan sets out the national priorities and funding levels for the school building programme.  Key priorities under the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030 include: Continuing to cater for additional capacity requirements Provision of accommodation for special classes with a particular emphasis on ramping up provision at post-primary level to facilitate a smooth...

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,...