Results 9,301-9,320 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department’s Circular Letter 0032/2007 for primary teachers and Circular Letter 0054/2019 for primary and post primary teachers, details the agreed terms and conditions for the main leave types currently available, including the provision for substitute cover. Regarding ‘Illness in Family’ Leave and ‘Force Majeure’ Leave, the employer may appoint a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department approved capital funding in 2022 for the provision of permanent additional accommodation at the school in question. This project will provide for 1 additional mainstream classroom, 2 special education needs classrooms and ancillary accommodation. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers at primary level. Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) represent a new source of supply in 2022/23. In excess of 1,870 primary NQTs have had their registrations finalised by the Teaching Council to date in 2022 with further applications being processed. Significant additional posts have been allocated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. The project will provide the following accommodation at the school: 1 x Mainstream classroom including en-suite toilet and & 2 x SET rooms. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. I wish to advise the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved capital funding for the school in question under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery and will include 8 mainstream classrooms, 2 SET rooms and 5 Special Educational Needs classrooms. The provision of sensory gardens and a 250m² secure soft play area...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to outline to the Deputy the details of the procedures to process applications for all teacher appointments at the start of each new school year and the commitment of staff of my Department to efficiently process these applications. Early in the New Year, each school is advised by my Department of their teaching allocations for the forthcoming school year. It is the responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current 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 Staff (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is at Stage 3 (Tender Action and Award). The Design Team has recently submitted a Stage 3 Tender Report, which is currently being assessed by my Department. Subject to no issues arising, it is envisaged that works could commence on site in Quarter 1 of 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 23 months.

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Tá an-áthas orm a bheith anseo le Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge chun plé a dhéanamh ar dhíolúintí ó staidéar a dhéanamh ar an nGaeilge. Tá an cás a bhaineann le díolúintí teanga casta agus níl aon réitigh shimplí ar fáil ina leith. Feidhmíonn an Roinn...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Ar an gcéad dul síos, níl sé sin ceart ó thaobh na dtíortha eile. There are exemptions for languages in other countries, such as the UK, Poland and Italy. Specifically with regard to students who have an exemption, we are moving away from a diagnostic-led situation. We have invited schools to work to support students over a prolonged period of time, most...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: On the supports, I want to be very clear that there are considerable supports being provided in our schools for students who are in receipt of special education. For example, we currently have almost 40,000 staff in our schools dedicated to supporting children who have a particular special education need. That is considerable support. It is a massive support given where we were heretofore....

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Chun an fhírinne a rá, ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé sin ceart. I do not think that is 100% correct because the adjudication will only be made after a number of years of intervention by the school team. That includes the SET allocation and in some instances the pastoral team. The sign-off may well come from the principal but it will be a decision that has been reached...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: That process may well have begun at primary school level. It is a two-year intervention. We have strong distributed leadership in our schools. One in three staff members within our schools are now post holders. Many of them hold posts in the area of special education. It is not a unilateral decision made by the principal, and nor would I want it to be. It is a shared decision which is...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá an ceart ag an Teachta. Tá réimse an-leathan ann. The very wide range of special education needs is largely due to the fact that we know so much more now in terms of special education than we did in 1998 when special education was first recognised. At that time we had 104 special education teachers and 229 special needs assistants, SNAs, in...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: It is never envisaged that students should fall out of the loop as it were. Even when students receive an exemption, it is very clear that they are encouraged to continue to experience Irish in the school and class and to participate and be part of Irish. The agenda is not for students to fall out of the loop. The works under way via the Department are quite considerable. We have our...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I cannot speak to the Deputy's experience but I also have considerable experience in the school sector. I know that schools must be in a position to produce the portfolio showing the interventions over a two-year period; for example, where there has been engagement with the special education teacher and the various interventions introduced into the school. When the inspectorate visits a...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In the first instance, aontaím leis that there is a dual agenda here. One is to support children with special educational needs, and the second is to support the growth and advancement of the Irish language. We are on the same page in respect of that. With regard to the supports we provide to children and young people with special educational needs, and I referenced it earlier, we...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Regarding the supports that are being provided to children and young people, I will be very clear. I have referenced it a number of times and do not wish to repeat it but instances of a derogation or an exemption being provided for Irish only happen after two years of intervention in the school where particular supports have been put in place, whether it is differentiated learning or...

Joint Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Díolúintí i leith Staidéar na Gaeilge sa Mheánscolaíocht: Plé (Atógáil) (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In terms of the monitoring, I want to be very clear. When the inspectorate, whose representatives are more at liberty here to give the detail, visits a school, whether for a subject inspection, a whole-school evaluation, WSC, or whatever type of inspection, the data on exemptions being provided are available to its officials and are then obviously available within the Department. It is...