Results 11,141-11,160 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

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...

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

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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. I know what a hugely important...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that the majority of schools have a general purpose room or Physical Education hall, with general purpose rooms being the provision at primary level and PE halls the provision at post primary level. In addition, many schools have access to adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. My Department...

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

Norma Foley: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB based on the overall enrolment of the schools within the ETB. The distribution of this staffing allocation is a matter for the Chief Executive of the ETB based on the...

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

Norma Foley: In March I announced that from next September the DEIS programme will be extended to an additional 310 schools. 37 schools will also benefit from additional supports following reclassification. This means that overall, 347 schools will benefit. As a result of this announcement from September 2022, this will increase the number of schools supported in the DEIS programme to 1,194 schools and...

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to recognised Primary and Post-Primary 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 such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary/School Services Support Fund (SSSF) to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services...

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

Norma Foley: Schools were identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme using the refined DEIS identification model. The model was applied to all primary and post primary schools in the State. This was the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme, benefitting 347 schools in total, at a cost of €32 million. My Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The provision of child and adolescent mental health services lies specifically within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. HSE Primary Care Psychology Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide a range of clinical support to children and young people with mental health needs. However, the Department of Education also plays an important role in...

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

Norma Foley: Several steps have been taken to include climate action and indeed wider sustainable development across the curriculum at each level. Given the importance of climate change as an issue facing Ireland and global society, the Department has prioritised the integration of environmental and climate focused content in the curriculum. My Department’s Strategy on Education for Sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to assure the Deputy that the Department is fully committed to advancing these projects in the shortest timeframe possible. The permanent building project for Blackrock Educate Together Secondary school is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of...

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

Norma Foley: At the outset, I would like to acknowledge the centrality of staffing allocations for schools. As the Deputy may be aware, 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 has been improved under both Budgets...

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

Norma Foley: Social, Personal and Health Education, or SPHE for short, is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. RSE is required at all levels in schools, from primary through to Senior Cycle. All schools are required to have an RSE policy that is developed in consultation with the school community, including school management, parents, teachers and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for delivering the project in question has been devolved to Dublin & Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board (DDLETB). The Department of Education originally approved the construction of a standalone extension of just over 4,000m2 in area to include a 2-classroom SEN Base. Some works to the existing building were also included...

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

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) provides a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE Scheme) to support students with a complex variety of special educational needs. The purpose of the scheme is to allow students who have special educational needs that interfere with their capacity to engage with the standard examination arrangements to demonstrate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: On 17thFebruary 2022, NPHET reviewed the remaining public health measures including the infection prevention control measures and restrictions in school settings. The Government has accepted the recommendations of the NPHET to remove remaining restrictions relating to mask-wearing and physical distancing in schools with effect from Monday 28thFebruary. While it will no longer be a requirement...

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

Norma Foley: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS Programme - 687 Primary and 197 Post Primary, serving over 180,000 pupils. This represents approximately 20% of the overall school population. On the 9th March, I announced the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021 for reconfiguration works in existing space to create a 1 Class SEN Base with sensory room and outdoor SEN play area. The Department notified the school authorities of this approval in December 2021 and, as this is a Devolved project, the first step for the school...

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, my Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to all of these schools. Schools participating in my Department’s DEIS Programme receive an enhanced rate of book...

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

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) provides a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE Scheme) to support candidates with a complex variety of special educational needs including learning difficulties as well as permanent or temporary physical, visual, hearing, medical, sensory, emotional, behavioural or other conditions. In common with similar schemes...