Results 10,021-10,040 of 19,968 for speaker:Norma Foley

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Arts Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, I am presenting this information on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin. Primary support for the arts is delivered by the Arts Council. In 2022, the Minister allocated a record €130 million to the Arts Council. She was pleased to retain the €130 million in funding for the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. The Deputy will appreciate that under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes the allocation of Garda resources. The Minister for Justice...

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

Norma Foley: I appreciate the Deputy's particular interest in all matters related to education. I acknowledge a fairly significant commitment in that there are more than 30 large-scale and additional school accommodation scheme projects currently at various stages of planning and delivery for the Dublin Mid-West area. That is a positive story to present this evening. I have taken the opportunity to...

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 2021/2022school 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. The cost of the scheme in 2021 was €289m. Ticket registration for the...

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of...

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. The cost of the scheme was €289m in 2021. The purpose of my...

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

Norma Foley: You will be aware that the psychological service of my Department, NEPS, provides a much valued service to all primary and post-primary schools. The service provided by NEPS is broad, and encompasses a model that seeks to strengthen the overall capacity of the system to support the wellbeing, participation and inclusion of all children and young people in our schools, but particularly for...

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

Norma Foley: The Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and how it currently operates, its broader effectiveness and sustainability and that it adequately supports the provision of services to students and their families. The findings of the review will underpin future planning for the...

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

Norma Foley: I very much value the work of all educational psychologists across the education system. As you are likely aware, 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...

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: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is planned that the school referred to by her will relocate to interim accommodation on the site where the school’s permanent school building will be constructed in Whitehall, Dublin 9. The school will need to vacate the property that it currently occupies at the end of the current academic year – the end of June 2023, as there is no further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I am aware of the Bill referred to by the Deputy. Managing ventilation is one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. The Expert Group established by the Minister for Health note in its own report published in April 2021 that very good advice is contained in the Department of Education’s Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices...

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 Staff (11 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 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Citizens' Assembly (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I am very pleased to see the inclusion of a Citizens’ Assembly on the future of education in which the voices of young people and those being educated are central in the Programme for Government. Ireland is considered a leader in the use of deliberative democracy processes, having convened three in recent years; the Convention on the Constitution (2012-14), the Citizens’...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Conservation (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: I am delighted to advise that the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD and I last week launched the 2023 – 2024 Schools Energy Retrofit Pathfinder Programme which will evaluate and demonstrate the approach to energy retrofit and carbon reduction in the schools’ sector, testing energy efficiency solutions and renewable heat technologies. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pleananna Oideachais (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: Tá obair ar siúl anois i mo Roinnse chun polasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Tógfaidh an polasaí seo ar an méid atá bainte amach ag an bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta, agus beidh sé mar chéim thábhachtach eile i dtreo ghealltanas Chlár an Rialtais maidir le forbairt pholasaí...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (11 Oct 2022)

Norma Foley: The arrangements in relation to the allocation of teaching posts, and to the allocation of special needs assistants to all schools, including ETB schools, are set down in various circulars issued by my Department. In relation to such posts, schools and ETBs have autonomy in relation to the recruitment and replacement of staff within the agreed approved staffing allocation granted to the...

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

Norma Foley: In the review and redevelopment of the primary curriculum there have been calls for increased time to be allocated to existing curriculum areas such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and to Physical Education (PE). The draft Primary Curriculum Framework published by the NCCA as part of their development work sets out the competency of Fostering wellbeing which aims to develop...

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

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with Department Circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and ensure...