Results 8,861-8,880 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It is very much the intention that the review of the summer programme will be completed in advance of the provision of the programme for next summer. The entire focus is to find new ways to deliver it and to lessen the burden placed on schools. The ambition is that we would have that done. Regarding free books, we had a €50 million package available to us which meant that we could...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is correct that we have made significant progress on special educational needs, SEN, provision, whether in the special schools he mentioned or the additional places. Come next year, we will be in a position to say that almost 3,000 special class places are available. It is a huge number compared with where we were. I will revert to the Deputy on the specific case he raised in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will appreciate that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there were knock-on effects on our special schools and the development of community-based education. The Department has worked closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. We have had a number of engagements with her and with the wider partners in education on this. An agreement has been reached for CDNTs to return to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge this is a matter close to the Deputy's heart and that he has raised it on a number of occasions. It has also been raised with me when I have visited special schools and I hear the argument being made in its favour. He is correct that the Department will point to enhanced allocations in staffing. However, notwithstanding that, I have enormous admiration for the work that is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I will be clear about the case raised by Deputy Conway-Walsh. Any child or young person with a special educational need, for example, a child who is visually impaired, has an entitlement. I will be honest that in some areas there have been difficulties in recruiting additional drivers or procuring additional buses. There are no two ways about it, but that is notwithstanding the absolute...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I accept that. For example, as regards the nearest school, the Deputy will appreciate that I introduced a temporary alleviation measure this year and last year, which means students who meet the criteria are now eligible for free transport to what might not be their nearest school. It can also be their next nearest school. There is an element of choice to facilitate them. The review is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I will revert to the Deputy on that. The whole impetus for the current review of the school transport system is to ensure that we gain the advantage of the maximum number of children and young people availing of the bus. This ensures there are less people transporting children to school. There are a wide variety of reasons for doing this review including from a climate point of view, as...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy sharing his experiences of the Gaelscoil. I visited it myself and I have seen at first hand the excellent operation. I am very pleased to hear of the initiative he referenced. As he noted, we have already secured €5 million and it is very much the ambition of the Department to run this as a pilot. It is not before time. It can be an invaluable resource to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In general, we are speaking across all our schools of distributed leadership. I acknowledge that the principal alone cannot and should not have to carry everything. We are now in a position where one in three in our schools is a post holder of some type or other. From having been in schools myself, I am aware there is a view that it is to the advantage of the school to have this...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the work of all our education partners, and I include the parents here, and how invaluable that partnership approach is. Engagement with my Department and the National Parents Council Post-Primary is ongoing and my understanding is that there are some outstanding questions that need to be resolved. There is also a governance review under way and it is important that be allowed...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. The Chair referenced the independence or otherwise of the governance review. There was an open tender process for that and that would be the correct procedure one would normally follow in any instance. I do not think we can get anything more independent than an open tender. Indeed it was discussed with the NPCPP. The terms were also shared with the NPCPP and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I absolutely welcome the Chair's involvement and engagement and that is exactly what I would anticipate and expect from the committee. I have no issue at all and will be very happy to provide the Chair with the fullest of information regarding the review and engagement we have had. I reiterate that I look forward to the outstanding questions being answered as a priority and as expeditiously...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: As I said, in due course-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: -----I will give the committee the full list of information available to me about the review and the engagement that we have had. I will ensure that is made available to the committee.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: Just leave that with me. I appreciate the case that the Chair is making. I will look at that and revert to him. In general, considerable investment is now going into the area of special education in excess of €2.3 billion. That is right and proper. We have also recently completed a review of special classes and special school provision. That will very much inform our projections...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I thought I was nearly out the door.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I personally have had very positive engagement. Indeed, the Chair will know that the Taoiseach has also visited. I think Deputy O’Sullivan was in attendance with him. The director of Cork Life would say that we have come forward with a positive proposal for him and for the benefit of the students. There is an opportunity to put the school, as it were, on a positive footing going...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I do not want to comment on the litigation the Deputy referenced.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Secretary to Board of Management allowance was introduced in 2007 following an agreement reached at the Teachers Conciliation Council (Agreed Report 3/06), following a recommendation of the Teachers Arbitration Board in 2003 that an allowance should be put in place for all Principals who carry out work as Secretary outside of normal working hours. The allowance was payable in one of 5...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (29 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide. The NCSE has advised my Department that the school is approved for 3 ASD classes upon completion of a new school build, and that there are no outstanding applications for the school. My Department is committed to...