Results 11,481-11,500 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. My Department is considering the timeline for the progression to tender of a number of Design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is not being delivered by the NDFA. The project is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I can advise the deputy that as set out in Circular 0052/2019 (primary) and 0053/2019 (post primary), an application for an exemption from the study of Irish should be made in writing by the parent/ guardian or student if aged 18+ to the school. Application forms, detailed guidelines and frequently asked questions are available on the website: www.gov.ie/en/service/irish-exemption/. An...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department occupies four main campuses in Marlborough Street and Blanchardstown in Dublin, Tullamore and Athlone as well as 41 local offices throughout the country. My Department has not incurred any costs in relation to roof cleaning and sanitisation in the past five years to date in 2022. The maintenance and upkeep of school grounds and buildings is a matter for school authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Site Acquisition (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is not being delivered by the NDFA. The project is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme which uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. The conveyancing stage of the acquisition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 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 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: School Facilities (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, my Department’s Design Guidelines for all new schools provides for outdoor multi use games areas (hard play areas) and the level of play space provided varies with the size of school. The majority of existing schools have a general purpose room / Physical Education hall and practically all schools have outdoor play areas. In addition, many schools, use adjacent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I am very appreciative of the work the committee is doing and of how it will feed into the entire process. I want to acknowledge that it is very positive for the Department of Education. I am pleased to be before the Joint Committee on Gender Equality to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality regarding norms and stereotypes in education. At the outset, I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy raised issues around STEM. In the first instance, I want to be very clear that we all understand it is extremely important young females see themselves as being fully participative in all STEM subjects and areas. There is a strong and ambitious programme of work set out in the Department’s STEM education policy statement. I recently published the gender balance in STEM...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: On apprenticeships, there is a hugely important role in the area of guidance and directing our students, as in the instance referred to by the Senator with girls going into opportunities that heretofore might not have been considered. We can never underestimate the power and value of guidance in schools. I was very pleased that one of my first acts as Minister was to ensure the provision of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: On the Senator's first query on the third national strategy for women and girls, my Department has had ongoing engagement with the Minister for Justice and her Department and I have met the Minister personally about the input from the Department of Education into that strategy. That is in recognition, as the Senator will appreciate, that there is a cross-departmental and cross-governmental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Sure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: I hear the Senator's frustration but I say that I am absolutely committed to ensuring, in the first instance, that every child and young person in our schools should feel valued, supported, happy and safe in those schools. They must receive the education that they should across a variety of curricula, and specifically as referenced here the social, personal and health education and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (19 May 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy might come back to me if I do not respond to everything as I did not catch some of it. She mentioned the RSE framework and the timelines. We have given timelines now, and as I said to Senator Warfield, with the best will in the world I can only look at what I have done in the less than two years I have been Minister. I hear the frustration around how long it has taken to bring...