Results 9,961-9,980 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

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

Norma Foley: The review had extensive consultation. Notwithstanding that, I appreciate that Cork Life Centre had specifically asked for certain clarifications. That was done and published. There has been considerable consultation. The next step is the implementation. There will be opportunities as we go forward. Irrespective of the formula that will be employed, there is a shared agenda to make this...

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

Norma Foley: -----so we need to find a system that will address all of the issues and the difference of issues that are there. I cannot say much more-----

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

Norma Foley: -----other than to say I am committed to finding that way forward. I appreciate the expertise and commitment that have been shared by so many who sit around the table at this committee and, indeed, as I said, the Chair himself. I will continue to engage with the Deputy and update him on the progress of the implementation group. I also appreciate the urgency that people want to give this issue.

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

Norma Foley: The Senator is 100% correct. We have now seen the single largest investment in the DEIS programme of €17 million and it will be €32 million next year. This has allowed the biggest number of schools ever to enter the DEIS programme and it means that one in four students is attending a DEIS programme supported school. That is as we want it. I am aware of the digital library...

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

Norma Foley: We will be pushing forward as quickly as we can with looking at other measures to level the playing pitch for students. I am happy to specifically look at the digital library service again to see what opportunities we have. It is correct that it is tied up in reviews, but I will look at it to see what scope we have.

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

Norma Foley: I do not want to mislead the Senator so I will come back to her with something definitive on that.

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

Norma Foley: I appreciate that and I acknowledge the excellent work of the local authorities in respect of the library service. Terrific links have been established between our schools and the library service and, in fact, we have invited schools to liaise with the library service about types and suitability of books under the €20 million allocation. I also acknowledge the manner in which many...

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

Norma Foley: As a collective, we are all conscious of the world in which we live these days. We are aware that many of our students are gaining access to information, as I said previously, that is not supervised or appropriate and is not monitored. They are gaining that access via their mobile phones and other sources. It is important that students are equipped to face the challenges of the world in...