Results 10,481-10,500 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I sincerely acknowledge the excellent work that goes on in the school, including its delivery of education to its students, its role in the community and the excellence of the entire school community. This school is a priority for delivery but there is a process. On the procurement process, in the first instance, the appointment of the project manager involved a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, school transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current year, more than 121,400 children, including more than 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost in 2021 was €289 million. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I agree with the Deputy. I believe there is an opportunity - it is one that we are taking via the review - to carry out a complete root and branch of the school transport service as regards how it meets the needs of students and families. The Deputy referred to how we can integrate the service, ensure best value for everybody concerned and so forth. He is correct that the interim review...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Transport (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: In the first instance, I acknowledge that measures have already been introduced in the area of school transport costs and the cost of living. The Deputy will be aware that the Government announced there would be a reduced cap for fees for multiple children at post-primary level. It has now been reduced from €650 to €500 and from €220 to €150 at primary level. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The teaching of History in an impartial way is woven into the fabric of the History curricula in Irish schools and associated teacher Continuing Professional Development. The overarching aims of the Leaving Certificate syllabus is to respect and celebrate diversity. The study of History in itself is an opportunity for students to engage with diverse aspects of human experience in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and supporting small schools and I am delighted that significant progress has been made. In Budget 2022, I ensured major investment in our primary and post primary schools and brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy has asked for information on primary and post-primary school places for the 10 years to 2022.  I will arrange to have details forwarded in tabular form. As a summary, I will say that enrolments at primary level over the last 10 years grew from 509,652 in the 2010/11 school year to 567,772 in 2018/19, and have been reducing since then. It is expected that they will continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ukraine War (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to provide an update on supports for students from Ukraine who have come to Ireland. First, I want to highlight the excellent work that our schools have done in welcoming so many children and young people from Ukraine into their communities over the last four months. Our schools have already welcomed a substantial number of children who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ukraine War (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to assure the Deputy that meeting the educational needs of children and young people from Ukraine is a priority for me as Minister and for the Government. We are determined to support for the huge efforts we are seeing from our school communities across the country, who have shown huge commitment and generosity in meeting the needs of all Ukrainian children. Of course, the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) develops the curriculum, at the Minster for Education's request, through their representative structures. When developing subject specifications, the NCCA convenes specialist subject development groups. Such a group was established to draft specifications for Junior Cycle Irish. NCCA processes around seeking suitable nominations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established, by my Department, on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education, or RSE, is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education across all schools. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (the NCCA) was requested to conduct a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to thank the Deputy for his question. As of 17 June 2022, a total of 150 Ukrainian pupils were enrolled in Gaeltacht schools in Ireland. 113 were enrolled at primary level and 37at post-primary level. These were enrolled in a total of 22 primary-level schools and 9 post-primary-level schools.  Guidance was issued to Gaeltacht schools by my Department at the end of April on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Agreement in principle has been reached to acquire a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. Contracts for sale for the site have been signed, conditional on the landowner providing required infrastructure upgrades to serve the site. My Department has been advised that these upgrades are programmed to be completed by the end of July 2022.  The project to provide the permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jun 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, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.   Under the terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: In recent years, faced with the challenge of Covid 19, the State Examination Commission (SEC) has successfully issued Leaving Certificate results in time to meet the needs of candidates and stakeholders.  Again this year, every effort is being made by the State Examinations Commission in order to ensure that Leaving Certificate results issue in a timely and efficient manner to meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The provision of Irish-medium education is a priority for my Department and this Government, and we share a strong commitment to increasing the number of Irish-medium places available and providing suitable accommodation in this regard.  As the Deputy may be aware, in early 2021 I approved a proposal for a new satellite model of Irish-medium post-primary provision to be piloted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (30 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: In March I announced a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme. This announcement meant 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 the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jun 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, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.   Under the terms...