Results 9,601-9,620 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: I can confirm that this is part of the review. Regarding the cut-off point of 70 for school bus drivers, it is a policy decision of Bus Éireann. However, the company has informed us that it is kept under review.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to the delivery of school building projects under the national development plan in Dublin Mid-West. To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I do not disagree with the value and importance of the work, as I have said. I think it is a positive that we can say that the high level working group, which is chaired by the Secretary General, underlining the importance that we in the Department place upon it, is looking at a whole variety of opportunities going forward. Among those is the decision that has been taken to sponsor a cohort...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the single biggest expansion of the DEIS programme was announced by me recently, with an investment of €17 million, increasing to €32 million next year. We are very conscious of the benefit of the DEIS programme. All analysis and studies on the programme show that it makes a considerable impact in our schools. We have grown it to such an extent that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the point the Deputy has made. As I have outlined already, there is a detailed paper on the refined DEIS model, which is available on gov.ie. At its core, it is about identifying concentrated levels of disadvantage. That is the nub of it. I accept that schools may be in close proximity to one another, but they do not necessarily have the same cohort of students....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's point that one school in an area may be awarded DEIS status and another may not. However, because it is about concentrated disadvantage, that will be the case unless the other school absolutely mirrors school that is awarded DEIS status in terms of the entire student population. Again, I reiterate that a detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. It is important to look at the figures. In the most recent school year, more than 121,400 children, including more than 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing commitment to this issue. The scheme for the waiving of school transport fees was very clear in that it applied to those students who met the eligibility criteria. We have outlined those criteria, which are that pupils must live more than 3.2 km from their nearest primary school or 4.8 km from their nearest post-primary school or, to include the temporary...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I reiterate that we have seen an increase this year in the numbers who are eligible. We have also seen a 27% increase in the number of concessionary tickets offered this year compared with last year. It is a substantial increase. Notwithstanding that, the entire root-and-branch review will give us an opportunity to look at new opportunities into the future for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 143 together. I do not have the full reply as I did not think we would get to these questions. I apologise to the Deputy for that and will provide her with the updated data. I take the opportunity to say the work NEPS does is absolutely invaluable, as the Deputy will appreciate. We have increased the number of staff in the service in recent...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Educational Psychological Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate having the opportunity to confirm the Department has set up a high-level working group on this issue chaired by the Secretary General, which is a testament to the importance we are placing on how we advance the service provided by NEPS. The working group has agreed on a number of actions that will be taken. Following analysis of the various options that were laid out by the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: On 1 January 2021, responsibility for education welfare functions, including the administration of the home school community liaison scheme and the school completion programme, SCP, transferred from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to me. The SCP forms part of the Tusla education support service, TESS. While the arrangements between Tusla and the SCP...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: To be clear, I appreciate and acknowledge the value of the school completion programme and see the work it does on the ground. We are looking at an holistic approach between school completion, home school community liaison and so on to ensure students and young people at risk of early school-leaving will be supported insofar as possible to maintain their presence in school and to succeed. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I very much appreciate the Deputy's points and am conscious of the disparity that exists. I am also conscious of the value and importance of the work being done on school completion programmes. The jurisdiction of the SCP coming into my remit is a relatively recent move. I wanted to be fair and honest in saying there had to be considerable work in that respect from a legislative point of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, in June of this year, I visited the Cork Life Centre and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet some of the young people who attend the centre, together with their parents and guardians, as well as members of staff and the management of the centre. During the meeting, the centre raised the issues of security of employment for its staff and their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: To be clear, the staff employed in the Cork Life Centre, under the co-operation hours arrangement with Cork ETB, are employed under terms and conditions, including the pay scale, in line with arrangements that apply to settings outside the recognised school system. However, as I have made very clear, I have met with the centre and I am very conscious of the work it does. The issues the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank both Deputies. I acknowledge their commitment and interest. I do not for a moment underestimate the value and importance of the work that takes place in Cork Life Centre and in the other centres that make up this sector. I fully understand that no one setting suits the needs of students and we must provide a variety of settings for them. It is the desire of the Cork Life Centre,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I have been very clear about the need for the reform of senior cycle and I have outlined the aspects on which we have already moved. We have already made considerable changes on foot of the announcements for senior cycle. For example, the students availing of the LCA programme may now avail of maths from the established programme. There is a crossover between the different programmes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is misconstruing what I said to him. I said there is absolute clarity on the broad thrust of what is to be achieved at senior cycle. I have been very clear about the new types of subjects that will be available. Two specific new subjects will be available: drama, film and theatre studies; and climate action and sustainable development. The work on that has already begun. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the review is to look at all aspects of the current system and that includes examining eligibility criteria, trends, cost drivers and the overall effectiveness of the scheme in meeting the objectives as set out. The objective is to maximise the opportunities for young people to avail of the service. To answer the Deputy's first question, eligibility will most certainly be...