Results 9,641-9,660 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 Nov 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of teachers at primary level. Significant additional posts have been allocated to the primary substitute teacher supply panels in areas where significant challenges in sourcing substitution continue, bringing the total to 610 posts on 151 panels, covering approximately 2,800 schools. The supply panels work alongside...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: At primary level, the annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools. The staffing schedule has been improved under both Budgets in the past two years. For the 2022/23 school year, the schedule has been improved by one point and schools are provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils which means that our primary schools are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Nov 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: Disadvantaged Status (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March this year I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme. This means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme has been significantly expanded to an additional 322 schools. Those schools are now gaining access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued to the preferred tenderer on 18 May 2022 commencing the school building contract for the school referred to by the Deputy. The construction programme for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered in three phases with the first phase due for completion in Q3 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued to the preferred tenderer on the 31st May 2022 commencing the school building contract for the school referred to by the Deputy. The construction programme is 70 weeks with the new 1,000 post-pupil school anticipated to be completed in Q3/Q4 2023. My Department is in discussions with the patron with regard to any short-term interim accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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 Facilities (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: A technical examination is presently being undertaken within my Department in order to inform the proposed terms for the licence referred to. This planned licence has been prioritised and is being prepared as an exceptional measure.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The terms and conditions of the Sick Leave Scheme are contained in my Department’s Circular Letter 0054/2019 (Chapter 1) for primary and post primary teachers and Circular 0060/2019 for SNAs. Where a teacher or SNA is absent on sick leave, the employer may appoint a substitute teacher or SNA, paid by my Department to cover the absence. My Department runs a comprehensive programme of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: The position as previously outlined to the Deputy in July 2022 has remained unchanged. COVID-19 Special Leave with Pay is currently available to a teacher who (a) begins to display COVID-19 symptoms or (b) receives a positive COVID-19 PCR/antigen test result. The maximum Special Leave with Pay entitlement is 7 consecutive days in any one instance, which is the current HSE stated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)'. My officials have been in touch with the school authorities to provide the necessary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 625 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme which means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March this year I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme. This means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme has been significantly expanded to an additional 322 schools. Those schools are now gaining access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that as a result of the covid pandemic all physical face to face oral hearings for all appeals lodged to my Department under section 29 of the Education Act were suspended in March 2020. During the pandemic, appeals lodged to my Department which required an Oral hearing were conducted by teleconferencing with the parties in question. Following the enactment of section 7 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: A major extension/refurbishment project for the school referred to by the Deputy commenced on site in July 2022. The construction project comprises an extension of 1710sqm consisting of a 4 Classroom SEN base, 4 new mainstream Classrooms plus alterations to existing school to provide a 24 Classroom school with 13 SET rooms. The contract duration is approximately 18 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: In March this year I was glad to be able to announce a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme. This means that, for the first time since 2017, the programme has been significantly expanded to an additional 322 schools. Those schools are now gaining access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I have been able to significantly expand the number of schools in the DEIS programme this year, meaning over 1,200 schools have access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage. This will add an additional €32million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the 2023 allocation to in the region of €180million. Schools were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (8 Nov 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that no officials in my Department have undertaken the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Programme in the past 10 years.