Results 9,001-9,020 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience. Introducing significant change at Senior Cycle needs to be thought through carefully and it is essential to ensure that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), State Examinations Commission...

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

Norma Foley: I am aware that some schools are currently experiencing challenges recruiting teachers. Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) represent an additional source of supply for substitute and full-time posts in 2022/23 with over 3,600 primary and post-primary NQTs registered with the Teaching Council this year. My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers. HEIs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for...

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. It is important to note that recent policy decisions to support primary schools have seen significant additional posts allocated,...

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

Norma Foley: Over the last two years, the Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special education placements ahead of each new school year. This intensive intervention has seen the establishment of a new special school in Cork, Rochestown...

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

Norma Foley: The public consultation process to inform the development of the new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht was launched on 27 October 2022. The first phase of the consultation, which involves an online questionnaire and written submissions, will be open until 16 January 2023. The questionnaire is available on gov.ie/POLG and is open to all who wish to make submissions....

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 the Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level. The DEIS Plan, published in 2017, sets out the vision for future interventions in the critical area of educational disadvantage policy and builds on what has already been achieved by schools who have benefitted from the...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has received an application, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the...

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: 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 Facilities (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. The Expert Group established by the Minister for Health note in its own report published in April 2021 that very good advice is contained in the Department of Education’s Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. They also note that it must be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (24 Nov 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 and has benefits for students. Schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (24 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners. The NEPS service provides access for all schools to: - Psychological...

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

Norma Foley: The commitment in the Programme for Government 2020-2025 to provide a comprehensive policy on Irish in the education system was made in the context of the implementation of the Government’s 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030. Under that strategy, my department has made significant progress in implementing the Policy on Gaeltacht Education and is now progressing work on...

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. The REV allocation for...

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 will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym which stands for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project...

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

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. As the Deputy is aware, this year marked the return to externally delivered examinations for all candidates at both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle, with 61,108 candidates sitting Leaving Certificate examinations and 67,130 candidates sitting Junior Cycle...

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

Norma Foley: Investment and expenditure on GP rooms and PE Halls is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms/PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (24 Nov 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 and has benefits for students. Schools...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, it is more than 20 years since the primary curriculum has been reviewed and redeveloped and much has changed since then. The ongoing high level curriculum review is about ensuring that the primary curriculum continues to provide a strong foundation for all children to thrive, flourish and realise their potential during childhood and into the future. Curriculum...