Results 10,521-10,540 of 20,002 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: This means it is concessionary. I am mindful of their particular challenge. This is a cost-of-living measure that was introduced. Where there is scope to address their needs in my discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, we will do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: That figure included special needs. The figures I have given - I mentioned that 124,000 pupils are availing of the service now, compared with 103,000 this time last year - refer to the mainstream. I referred to those figures because there has always been a free transport system for those availing of special education needs transport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: In terms of capacity, I am mindful that there are challenges in some instances for Bus Éireann in terms of the provision of buses and bus drivers, etc. As I said previously - I know I am repeating myself now - these challenges are not unique to the transport sector. There are issues in hospitality and in businesses across many different levels of society. We are meeting those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: In the first instance, significant progress has been made in the provision of school places and school transport for children and young people with additional needs. Some 25% of the budget is expended on special education. That is right and proper. We are coming from a base where more and more work is required. I appreciate that and absolutely understand the importance of it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: It is a guaranteed payment even to the provider. The money will come. I do not know the specifics of the actual cases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I will take it from there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: If the Deputy asks a question, I would appreciate the opportunity to answer it. There was mostly certainly engagement and ongoing engagement with Bus Éireann. We looked at a variety of different opportunities of what could be done. Of course, Bus Éireann were informed officially once the decision was made by Cabinet-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for her remarks. Bus Éireann has fulfilled its obligations and is working to fill outstanding obligations. The company's obligation was to cater for those who applied on time and who fulfilled the criteria. It would not have been appropriate to change the criteria midstream in the midst of an entire review of the school transport system. It would have thrown up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Well, the Chairman raised it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: It is a guaranteed payment. It is an absolute guarantee.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (20 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: My aim for Budget 2023 is to continue to deliver on the priorities outlined in the Programme for Government and to continue to support the students, staff, and families in the education sector. In the lead up to the Budget, my Department receives a number of pre-budget submissions from a number stakeholders in the education sector and from organisations involved in other areas of public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 Sep 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 announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 Sep 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: Budget 2023 (20 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Over recent budgets, additional resources have been made available to our schools, including through the delivery of thousands of extra teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts, increased capitation in schools, enhanced supports for school leadership and an improved staffing schedule in primary schools. My aim for Budget 2023 is to continue to deliver on the priorities outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 Sep 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 announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (20 Sep 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...