Results 10,721-10,740 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Earlier this year, in recognition of the invaluable work carried out by school secretaries the Department of Education put forward for agreement by the Forsa trade union, representing school secretaries, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries. This followed extensive engagement between the Department and school management bodies with Forsa to work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 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. The purpose of the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Jun 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. For the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 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. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, plans for the establishment of 47 new schools (primary and post-primary) since 2018, have been announced in areas of population growth. 36 of these new schools have been established up to the 2021 academic year, 21 Primary schools and 15 Post-primary schools. The timing and need for the remaining schools was being kept under review. Following such a review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The current Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum strives to foster an understanding and appreciation of all children. Through the curriculum objectives, children are supported to develop self-confidenceand a positive sense of self,and to appreciateand respect the diversity that exists in societyand to respect and appreciate human and cultural diversity. To this end, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile. The SET allocation model has been in place since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department makes supports available for students where English is an additional language. These supports are available generally in schools that have large numbers of students for whom English is not their first language. It has been of particular importance in recent weeks to support the large numbers of students enrolled in our schools coming from Ukraine. English Additional Language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The Education (Admission to Schools) Act, 2018, specifically prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the enrolment or continued enrolment of a student in a school. This applies to all recognised primary and post primary schools with exceptions only for fee charging secondary schools, boarding schools and schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: In April 2018, a review of Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) in schools was announced. This review the NCCA and covered both the content of RSE curriculum and support materials, as well as the delivery of the curriculum to students. Included in the areas for particular consideration during the review are: - Consent, what it means and its importance - Developments in contraception -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Students have been centrally involved in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in Irish schools that began in 2018 and continue to be involved in consultations regarding an updated curriculum. As part of the consultation process that formed a key part of the review of RSE, NCCA met with student groups including the ISSU, Comhairle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (14 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 primary and post-primary schools. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was requested to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (14 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 primary and post-primary schools. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was requested to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is in the process of redeveloping the Primary School Curriculum. A key document, the Primary Curriculum Framework which sets the foundation upon which curriculum specifications will be developed, will be furnished to my office in late 2022. Following my approval, the Framework will be published. Work on the specifications related to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to Relationships and Sexuality Education (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 (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools. My Department continues to advance work in this regard. SPHE is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: There has been considerable engagement between my Department and the Department of Justice in respect of the Third National Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV). My Department continues to work with the Department of Justice in formulating and implementing the Third National Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Proposed actions for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Interest Rates (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 956 and 957 together. The total cost to my Department of negative interest rates in outlined in the table below. Negative interest charges were introduced on all commercial bank accounts from March 2017. Commercial bank accounts operated by my Department are funded on a just-in-time basis and every effort is made by my Department to keep the balance of monies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 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. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: There is one former Secretary General of my Department on secondment to Maynooth University. This secondment follows two Government decisions in 2011 and 2021 which dealt with this matter. It is also in line with the Top Level Appointments Committee review of special retirement severance terms for Secretaries General. The role involves work within the university in the area of enhancing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jun 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that the majority of schools have a general purpose room / Physical Education hall and practically all schools have outdoor play areas. In addition, many schools, use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. Investment and expenditure on sports facilities is an element of the overall expenditure...