Results 11,101-11,120 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (17 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The Strategy Statement 2021-2023 sets out the high level goals of my Department and the strategic actions which will be progressed in order to achieve those goals over the period until 2023. The Statement by its nature does not reflect the day-to-day work of my Department, but rather the high-level objectives. The work of my Department in relation to relationship and sexual education is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the shortage of time but I will say there is no cap on the resources that are being made available to our schools. We have ensured that where schools requested additional teaching staff, which could have been teaching staff for additional hours or English as an additional language, or whether they requested furniture or whatever, that has all been put in place. Specifically, in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: We have put in place REALT teams, which are addressing any needs on the ground, either for schools with whatever issues they might have or indeed if there is an inability to access a place from a student's point of view. It has proven very successful, which I want to acknowledge. These locally-based regional teams are aware of the issues within schools. They are open to the principals but...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the interest across the floor from all Deputies in the whole school transport system. It is an issue I am very familiar with, given my constituency. There has been a body of work. I am glad there is an acknowledgement that the improvements made in the interim, and particularly around the second-nearest school, have considerably helped with access. I was asked a direct...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge first of all the great work that our schools, students, school leaders and staff have done in welcoming Ukrainian children and young people into their communities over the past two months, and the wider society also. I have visited many schools across the length and breadth of the country and I have seen at first hand the professionalism, the care, the welcome and the efforts...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (12 May 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 more than 121,400 children, including in excess of 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported every day to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of more than €289 million in 2021. Under...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I say to the Deputy that facts are facts and they remain as facts, irrespective of the timeframe. Significant progress has been made. The Deputy will be aware, for example, that last year as an interim measure, eligibility criteria were adjusted. Rather than eligibility revolving around the nearest school, I put in place measures so that students would be facilitated if they were opting to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bullying in Educational Institutions (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: It is an absolute priority that students, staff and everyone in the school community are safe, happy and secure in the environment in which they work and attend school every day. Employment law is important, as I said earlier and the Deputy acknowledged. That is an important point. It means that employers, including schools, have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bullying in Educational Institutions (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies, who have raised a variety of points. Deputy Gannon mentioned the fact that if you cannot see it, you cannot be it. I am hugely supportive of achieving the greatest diversity possible within our schools for the benefit of our school communities, our students and our staff. I recently attended the graduation in Marino of migrant teachers. It has been a phenomenally...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: It is the soul of wit. The project for Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers is included in the Department’s construction programme, which is being delivered under the national development plan as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework. Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion in capital investment over the period from 2021 to 2025....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the growth of the school, as well as the service provided by the school community, school staff and wider community in ensuring it is the success that it is. As the Deputy indicated, it is a positive step that the process to appoint the project manager will be completed this week. Once fully appointed, the project manager will meet departmental officials and will put in train...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Is léir dom gur scoil iontach í Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers. Tá sárobair ar siúl sa scoil lá i ndiaidh lae. This is a good news story today. It is positive progress, as Deputy Gould has articulated. A growth from 89 pupils initially to almost 300 now speaks volumes. This is an ambitious project for the school, a 16-classroom project with two classrooms for pupils...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bullying in Educational Institutions (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Ensuring all students and staff, including LGBTQI+ students and staff, feel supported, welcomed and secure within their schools is a key priority for the Department of Education. The Department of Education supports a number of programmes that support LGBTQI+ students and staff. For example, since 2013, the Department has provided funding to BeLonG To for StandUp! Awareness which is a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Legislative Programme (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health education is an important right for students and it is equally important that this education meets the needs of students in their day-to-day lives and reflects models of best practice. The Department of Education continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, to give best effect to the commitment in the programme for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Legislative Programme (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the Deputy's personal engagement with this issue. I also acknowledge we have made significant progress in progressing this. As I have articulated, I can point to the fact that specifications for junior cycle are due to be published very shortly, followed by public consultation, which has marked this process. At the same time, preparation has begun for senior cycle and we are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: Legislative Programme (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Again, I very clearly reiterate the curriculum must be followed in our schools. All schools must follow it and all students are entitled to the full and factual information as presented by our curriculum. In anticipation of that, we have very clearly set out the process to ensure our curricula are as current, up to date and appropriate as is necessary and possible. The work is ongoing,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Costs (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: A range of measures are in place to reduce back-to-school costs and also to help families with these costs. The Department published a circular in 2017 which sets out principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school. Under these measures, schools are required to select school uniforms that are generic and can be purchased from an array...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Costs (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Deputy Ó Laoghaire needs to take a more holistic view of the various measures we have in schools. For example, as I already referenced, significant funding has gone into DEIS. We have more schools than ever in DEIS, following the single biggest increase in the DEIS profile for schools, costing to the tune of €18 million this year and increasing to €32 million in 2023. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh – Priority Questions: School Costs (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I reiterate that the book scheme was extended and the pilot programme has run for two years. We have given a commitment that we will review the programme and look at the potential going forward for it to be either continued or extended. As Deputy Ó Laoghaire is aware, that is a budget consideration. It is important that we allow the pilot to complete and for it to be fully reviewed....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, on 29 March I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience. In my announcement I set out a clear vision for Senior Cycle, building upon the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA’s) Advisory Report. The NCCA’s review of senior...