Results 8,701-8,720 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. In July 2022, Government announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The NDFA is currently undertaking the process of appointment of multidisciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects and this is at an advanced stage currently. Thereafter, the NDFA will ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together. In March 2022 I announced that arrangements are being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that have no multidenominational primary schools at present as part of a pilot reconfiguration arrangement. In this context, my Department, with the co-operation of the relevant Catholic Bishops, is conducting a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, there are a number of published reports highlighting the ongoing needs of survivors and the lifelong difficulties they may encounter due to their childhood experiences in residential care. A survivor-led Consultative Forum, supported by professional facilitators who were engaged by my Department, was also established and has provided a very good insight into the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (14 Dec 2022)

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: Disadvantaged Status (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing these universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a targeted and equitable way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity across the primary and post-primary sector....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The major new school construction project for the school referred to by the Deputy commenced on site in March 2022. Works are progressing satisfactorily on site with a contract duration of approximately 31 months. The contract amount is in excess of €10.4 m and expenditure to date is circa €1m.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The Early Start programme was established in 1994, and is a one-year intervention to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. It involves an educational programme to enhance overall development, help prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage. Since the inception of Early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that the information for the teacher supply panels in Cork is available for the last two school years and is as follows: School Year No of Supply panels No of Teachers Allocated No of Teachers Appointed 2021-2022 18 72 62 2022-2023 18 65 63 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021. In July 2022, Government announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department engaged in social media advertising in respect of the 2021 Leaving Certificate Accredited Grades and Examinations process and also to highlight the public health advice for all of the school community for the period outlined. The total cost of this social media advertising was €38,165.04. This content was promoted on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (13 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: Changes to the duration and content of all initial teacher education (ITE) programmes were made in response to recommendations in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among children and Young People 2011-2020 and were incorporated into the Teaching Council’s Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (13 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department will soon publish a statement of priority actions to be delivered in 2023 which will elaborate on and develop the strategic actions set out in the Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. The Statement of Strategy was published in June 2021. It set out the vision, mission and strategic goals that will guide the Department’s work programme for the 2021-2023 period. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a major school building project for the school in question has been devolved for delivery to Limerick & Clare Education & Training Board (LCETB). A Traffic Impact Assessment has recently been completed and the findings of same are currently under review by the Design Team. The Design Team is working in consultation with LCETB, the School, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Flood Risk Management (13 Dec 2022)

Norma Foley: The Minor Works Grant is the funding mechanism for schools for dealing with small scale works. More significant works are dealt with via the multi-annual Summer Works Scheme. The purpose of the Summer Works Scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that...