Results 9,741-9,760 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question submitted an application under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (11 Oct 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: Bus Services (11 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2019, to carry out structural improvements on the external fabric of the school. In May 2021, the school authority submitted a tender report to the Department for review. However, the tendered works included a significant increase in the scope of works and increase in the cost of the project. Officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 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, are 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: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 to 432, inclusive, together. In reference to the school to which the Deputy refers, I wish to clarify that planning permission has not been refused; it has been granted for interim accommodation on the school’s proposed permanent site with 18 conditions, 12 of which are prior to commencement. My Department’s Design Team has responded to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: In reference to the school to which the Deputy refers, the school is currently located at Collins Ave East in 5 classrooms. This accommodation is sufficient to accommodate the school’s mainstream requirements for this current academic year 2022/23. My Department will continue to address the interim accommodation requirements for the school for 2023/24 and will continue to keep the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 435 together. The school referred to by the Deputy is at Stage 3 (Tender Action and Award). It was initially at an advanced stage of the tender process, but the recommended bidder notified the Design Team that due to market conditions, they were not in a position to accept the contract. At the same time, the Design Team were liaising with Donegal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my 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. My Department and Bus Éireann will continue...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the current primary broadband programme, my department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity arises, in line with contractual and budgetary requirements. As the Deputy will be aware the schools broadband programme operates subject to procurement regulations through a publicly procured Framework of Providers of Broadband Services. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff. This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply Panel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. A letter was issued by the Department to the schools earlier this year to advise that their respective school had been included in the programme. The NDFA has since been in contact with each school to introduce the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The Action Plan on Bullying, which was published in January 2013, sets out my Department's approach to tackling bullying and promoting an anti-bullying culture in schools. The Action Plan contains 12 actions that focus on the provision of support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising and aims to ensure that all forms of bullying are addressed. A number of these...