Results 9,221-9,240 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate his active engagement on this and his acknowledgement that many initiatives have been introduced to mitigate where there are issues. Notwithstanding this, I absolutely accept there are particular challenges in some areas more so than others. The significant action that has been taken ensures that, for example, we have the third and fourth year students...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I note the Deputy's concerns. The extension of the DEIS programme progresses the programme for Government commitment to complete the new DEIS identification model and to extend DEIS status to schools serving the highest concentration of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage. The concentration is the issue. The recent expansion will add an additional €32 million to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: Gender is not part of this. It is about concentrated disadvantage.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. It has been raised with me previously by Senator McGreehan and others. At the outset I point out that Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, is the main policy initiative of the Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. The Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority in question. Officials from my Department are completing the final stages of the assessment process. Upon completion of the assessment process a decision will then issue directly to the school authorities. The actual design of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department approved funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, for the school in question. This project was accepted by the school authorities and it has been devolved for delivery. The design of the project, including any implications on the existing GP room, will be determined by the appointed design team in conjunction with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers has been granted funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. This funding has been devolved to the school authority for delivery and will provide for 4 General classrooms, 1 Construction Studies/Woodwork room, 1 Construction studies/ Woodwork prep area and ancillary accommodation. A Stage 1/2A Report was submitted in August...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 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. The Project Manager has visited the school and is currently arranging site surveys for all projects on this ADAPT Programme including this school. The Project Manager has begun initial engagement with my Department's Consultancy Frameworks in respect of all the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the 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. Under the terms of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 117 together. The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (30 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 across the primary and post-primary sector....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme and State Examinations processes both determine if an exemption from their respective fees is applicable. My Department does not carry out means testing directly. The determination is based on whether a student or one of the parents/guardians has a current medical card and, if so, are then exempt from the fees. It should be noted that a temporary measure is in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The first school referred to by the deputy was granted approval for the provision of a new 1200 post-primary school building with 4-class special educational needs base under the Major Devolved Capital programme. This project is devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. This school is part of ‘Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Meetings (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that no officials from the Department of Education have attended Joint Policing Committees and city and county development boards since 2015 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March 2022 I announced that arrangements are being put in place in a number of towns and areas of cities that have no multi-denominational primary schools at present as part of a pilot reconfiguration arrangement. This work involves identifying potential schools and engaging with school authorities, school staff and the school communities, including parents, with a view to agreeing on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is working along with other Government Departments and agencies to support the full implementation of the national drug strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025 and is leading on a number of actions to build the skills, knowledge and resilience and wellbeing in all of our children so they are equipped to deal with the challenges they face and to enable them to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the 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: School Transport (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the 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: School Admissions (30 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, requires all schools to have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (30 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...