Results 11,521-11,540 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an Additional School Accommodation (ASA) application form from the school referred to by the Deputy.  The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The policy of my Department is to support the use of school premises and facilities outside of school hours for community, recreational and education-related purposes. The 2017 guidance to which the Deputy refers, was developed in consultation with school authorities. This guidance provides information for schools considering requests for use of school buildings outside of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to relationships and sexuality education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school.  Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I recently 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. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. Schools were not required to apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: D’fhógair mé le déanaí go ndéanfar an clár DEIS a leathnú chuig 310 scoil bhreise ó mhí Mheán Fómhair seo chugainn. Bainfidh 37 scoil leas as tacaíochtaí breise i ndiaidh an athaicmithe chomh maith. Sainaithníodh scoileanna lena gcuimsiú sa chlár trí shamhail bheachtaithe aitheantais DEIS ar samhail...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent second-level teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. The redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers is key to the Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget. A voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018 for 1 x 80m2 Classroom with en-suite toilets, 2 Classroom SEN Base, 1 x GP Hall. The school is requesting approval to combine this project with a new project of 1 mainstream classroom and 1 SET room. The Department's Professional & Technical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Standards for initial teacher education (ITE) at primary, all student teachers must complete a 4 week Gaeltacht learning period (GLP)  (2x 2 weeks) as part of their programme. This is compulsory in order to graduate. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Gaeltacht learning periods could not go ahead as planned and the Department and Teaching Council...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that, as set out in Section 2.2. of Circulars 0052/2019 (primary) and 0053/2019 (post primary), students from abroad can apply to their school for an exemption from the study of Irish if they meet the criteria as set out in the following exceptional circumstance i.e.: “pupils whose education up to 12 years of age (or up to and including the final year of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that the exceptional criteria for granting an exemption from the study of Irish are set out in section 2.2. of both circular 0052/2019 (primary) and circular 0053/2019 (post primary).  Therefore the appeal that can be made is based on a review of whether the school administered the Circulars correctly in coming to its decision. For the Deputy’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The Irish language is accorded special status in Ireland and is protected by various pieces of Legislation and in particular Article 8 of our Constitution which states that “The Irish Language as the national language is the first official language”.  The language has particular social, historical and educational importance and is part of the unique cultural heritage of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: It is the aim of my Department that every child has access to equitable education and that each learner irrespective of background feels safe and happy in the school environment, at every stage. I acknowledge that much of the language in the document published in 1965 is outdated and does not reflect this ambition. However, many aspects of the Rules for National Schools have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: Under the Building Momentum agreement, 2021-2022, two general round increases in annualised basic salary of 1% or €500, whichever is greater, are scheduled on 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022. I can advise the Deputy that these general round increases will be applied to qualifying pensions in line with the current pension increase policy, effective from the same date as the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department of Health and the HSE has responsibility for mental health services.My Department has built strong links with the Department of Health and both Departments are exploring ways to improve wellbeing and mental health supports for young people, including around increased awareness, promoting help-seeking behaviour and sign-posting to the wide range of available services.  My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Stádas Scoile (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: Foilsítear na criteir a úsaidtear chun múinteoirí a leithdháileadh ar scoileanna go bliantúil ar shuíomh Gréasáin mo Roinne (is é 0024/2022 an ciorclan abhartha) Cuireann mo Roinn buiséid pá agus neamhphá ar fáil do gach Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna (BOO) chun tacú lena scoileanna BOO aonair, coláistí,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System (GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that neither my Department nor its Agencies operate any surveillance technology equipment with facial recognition as outlined in the details supplied.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (26 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that 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.  For example, a new 24 classroom primary school with Special Education Needs classes is provided with 3 ball courts (1,755m² in total),  2  junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 300 together. My Department, in consultation with Bus Éireann, is putting in place a new process to facilitate the provision of School Transport Scheme Services for children arriving to Ireland from Ukraine. Children will be accommodated on existing services where there is capacity. Children will not be charged for their ticket and normal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Apr 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...