Results 9,561-9,580 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The school transport review is a significant and important body of work. Nobody appreciates it more than me, coming from an area that is very dependent on the access provided by school transport. The review is a body of work that has been comprehensive in terms of its consultation. There have been thousands of engagements with students, parents, guardians, those using the service and,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Yes, absolutely, as part of our network schools. On modern languages, we had a very successful roll-out of the modern language sampler in our primary schools last year, which has proved very positive and attractive to schools, and a large number of schools, in excess of 700, if I recall correctly, sought to take it up. The beauty of it is that there was a whole diversity of languages used,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate that. The €50 million investment to secure it for primary level was a significant investment, but a good one. It is my intention and ambition to embed this at primary school level and then the next obvious step would be to move it to post-primary. It was important to start the scheme at the beginning of the education experience, so we are beginning with primary, but it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In terms of the school transport, I appreciate the difficulties that this poses for many. In the first instance, it is important to say that the waiving of school transport fees was in respect of those who met the criteria. Everybody knows the criteria now. Perhaps not knowing it in advance, the criteria is 3.2 km from one's nearest primary school and 4.8 km from one's nearest or next...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: That is something that would be very close to my own heart as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I know that it is being considered. That is all I can say to the Senator at this point. There has been considerable consultation as part of the steering group as well. I had the opportunity to attend some of those consultations, particularly with the young people. They were uplifting, informative and inclusive. There were children of all backgrounds: children from a special education...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Regarding the primary substitution panels, I think 610 posts have been provided for and 151 panels are in operation at present. As I said throughout the previous two years, where a specific issue is identified in an area in regard to capacity and the need to provide for more, we are open to engagement on that. Some areas, from a geographical point of view, can be more challenging than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Regarding visits to the Gaeltacht and so on, the oral examinations will still take place in sixth year, most likely over the Easter period, as has been the case in recent years. Obviously, they will be supported by any additional trips students might wish to take to the Gaeltacht or by the work they do in school. I fully accept the Deputy's bona fides and the points she is raising but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Yes, the clarifications have been made and subsequently published.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the strong interest of the committee and the Chairman in the Cork Life Centre. I want to say that the entire review of out-of-school educational provision is to ensure that places such as the Cork Life Centre and other centres have a sustainable future. The major concern of Cork Life Centre relates to its sustainable future. I acknowledge that the Department has not been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education provision for Cork Life Centre did not change this year. We provided 6,000 co-operation hours, as we did previously, and €177,500 in funding directly to the centre. From our point of view, we have put in the same level of resources.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I am not aware of that. I am aware of what we, as a Department, have put into the Cork Life Centre which, in respect of the co-operation hours, would be equivalent to approximately 8.5 teaching posts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I want to be very clear. The supports provided to the Cork Life Centre have not changed. In fact, they have increased considerably since I became Minister. A figure of €177,500 was provided directly, and 6,000 co-operation hours were provided between the Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science which, again,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Again, I have recognised that there are issues for out-of-education provision. It is for that reason the review has been undertaken and that we now have an implementation group. I want to ensure that these centres are sustainable. The review is not just about Cork Life Centre; it is about all the centres. There must be equality in terms of what we implement. The implementation group is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In general, there are a number of centres spread across the country. They are not all the same. They are all quite different and yet, they are similar in that they cater for students outside of mainstream education. They are all doing different things. The key commonality among them, though, in my experience, is sustainability in how they can continue to survive and provide the services...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: To reiterate, everyone is interested in securing Cork Life Centre and making it sustainable. I absolutely accept that and understand its importance. We have done considerable work with the review and we are doing even more work with the implementation group. My sole objective is to ensure that centres such as the Cork Life Centre and others are sustainable into the future. I know the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: There is no cap at post-primary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I know. I am just establishing that. We engage on an ongoing basis with all the stakeholders regarding demand and supply to ensure that we have an appropriate supply in place. That includes the higher education institute, HEI, providers. We also have a teacher supply action plan which is informed by the work of all of our stakeholders and partners in education. The private providers are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Issues: Engagement with the Minister for Education (12 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. As he said, he has engaged with me previously in a Topical Issues matter, oral questions, etc. There is a huge commitment from this committee. It is my objective to ensure that centres like Cork Life Centre are sustainable and that there is a very clear pathway forward for them. I understand, from my own experience, that the formal education setting satisfies the vast...