Results 9,681-9,700 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215, 216 and 225 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 well-being, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department requires post-primary lessons to be a minimum of 40 minutes. This is laid out in Circular 59/2021, which states "To facilitate this learning and the implementation of good formative assessment practices, a minimum class period of 40 minutes is required. Certain subjects require double class periods (2 x 40 minutes) during the school week. Schools must ensure that class periods...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The Teaching Council have responsibility to determine the procedures that apply to the conduct of inquiries, in accordance with their legislative mandate to conduct inquiries. As the sanctions that may result must be referred to the High Court for approval, a higher burden of proof is applied. Section 42(9) of the primary legislation refers to the Investigating Committee considering...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the schedule of accommodation for purpose of the school's project brief, is currently being devised and my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities when this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding in respect of the school in question. My Department's priority continues to be the provision of essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation to meet school place requirements. The application from the school is under assessment by my officials currently and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Education. The Council is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Derelict Sites (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated by officials within my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (27 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the 18 religious congregations involved in the management of most of the residential institutions in which child abuse took place have made contributions towards the costs incurred by the State in responding to that abuse under two rounds: the legally binding 2002 Indemnity Agreement and the voluntary offers made in 2009 in the aftermath of the publication of the...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank Senators for the invitation to make a statement to update them on the school transport provision for the current school year. School transport was established in 1968. It was created to facilitate access to primary and post-primary education for those children who, because of where they reside, might otherwise have difficulty attending school regularly. Of course there have been...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (26 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I once again thank Senators for the opportunity to update the House on school transport for the current school year. I will reiterate what I outlined at the outset, which is that 126,000 tickets have been issued to applicants for the 2022-23 school year under the main scheme alone. At the start of the last school year, approximately 103,600 children were being carried on mainstream school...

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

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021 to provide one mainstream classroom with en-suite toilets, one assisted user WC and one SET Room. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority and is currently at the Design stage. It is now a matter for the Board of Management to advance this...

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...