Results 8,961-8,980 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Textbooks (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The service providers will be consulted in due course.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Child Abuse (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's genuine determination to engage with this, which is replicated across the House. I welcome that. It is important to note that we do have robust child protection measures in our schools, oversight of which is conducted by our inspectorate. Notwithstanding that, we are in a situation where we need to ensure that an appropriate inquiry is put in place to deal with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Staff (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I am aware that some schools are currently experiencing challenges in recruiting teachers and I am conscious of the impact this could have on our schools. Newly qualified teachers, NQTs, represent an additional source of supply. More than 3,600 primary and post-primary NQTs are registered with the Teaching Council this year. In May 2021, the Department published an updated technical report...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Staff (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: We need to look at this in the round. We have seen significant changes, enhancements and improvements in education over the past two years both at primary and post-primary level. For example, at primary level, over the past three budgets we ensured that there has been a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. It is an historic low of 23:1. We have ensured that all teaching principals have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Staff (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy has to concede that we have looked at a variety of different methods. We have been proactive in this area, notwithstanding the challenges in teacher supply. In the interest of balance, the issues being faced in the education sector are not unique. We are seeing similar issues in other sectors whether it is hospitality, retail, healthcare or whatever. This is the position we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Child Abuse (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I reiterate how heartbreaking and disturbing these revelations and all revelations of abuse are. Sexual abuse of a child by a teacher, school employee or any other person is a repugnant act. It is also a criminal act. In the first instance, it is, therefore, critical that crimes that have been committed are fully and thoroughly investigated by An Garda Síochána, and that process...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Child Abuse (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy's sincerity and the sincerity and unanimity across the House in expressing our revulsion and unequivocal condemnation of what has been visited upon so many children, young people, now adults, who continue to live with this repugnant trauma. I acknowledge, as the survivors have said to me, that they live with it, their families live with it and their wider communities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I am fully committed to ensuring that every child and young person has access to modern, inclusive sex education. This is echoed by the Programme for Government, which commits to the development of inclusive and age-appropriate Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curricula across primary and post-primary levels, including making...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I am aware of the statement to which the Deputy refer which details challenges some primary schools are facing in recruiting teachers. The Department of Education runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers at primary level and my Department engages closely with the school management bodies and other education stakeholders to inform this work. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The brief for this project is a New Extension and Refurbishment of the existing school buildings to provide accommodation for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 600 students. The agreed preferred design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education. The approach set out in the Wellbeing Policy is a whole school and preventative approach. The Wellbeing Policy contains a number of high level actions including an action to promote the wellbeing of school staff. The policy recognises the importance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It would not be appropriate that resources or materials produced or funded by the gambling industry, for education and awareness on gambling, are in use in our schools. There are protocols in place to ensure that strict criteria are observed by schools when inviting external agencies to address students about particular issues. The Department provides clear guidance to schools on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Nov 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. The cost of the scheme in 2021 was €289m. In July 2022, Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that a building project to construct permanent school accommodation for the three schools in question is included in the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. This project follows an extremely challenging and protracted site acquisition process, under which a CPO process ultimately had to be undertaken. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: There are two standard routes recognised by the Teaching Council to become a primary teacher: - A four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) programme. - A two-year post-graduate Professional Master of Education (PME) programme. The undergraduate/B. Ed. model offers students who are beginning their tertiary education, and wish to pursue a career in teaching, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Nov 2022)

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, Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, St. Mary’s National School is the result of the 1998 amalgamation of three schools in the St. Mary's parish. The school is operating in accommodation on two sites, directly across the road from one another, and has submitted an application to my Department for the provision of a new school building on one of these sites. The main focus of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: It was a very significant achievement to have secured €9.6 billion for Education in Budget 23. This funding allows many ground-breaking investments in our education system, furthering the work of recent years, for example class sizes, tackling disadvantage, reducing costs for families, and supporting the achievement of all our students. As part of the Cost of Living measures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. The Department of Education promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of continuing professional development and supports for teachers and principals. The Department ensures that a range of high-quality models of Continuing Professional...