Results 11,561-11,580 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to assure the Deputy that the provision of appropriate accommodation for pupils with special education needs is an absolute priority for my Department. This is in two respects: firstly in ensuring that there is sufficient provision for pupils with special education needs and secondly in designing school accommodation that meets the needs of all users - students and staff - and enhances...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (6 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 inclusion in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: From September 2022 the DEIS programme is being extended to benefit 347 schools. These schools will access all supports under the programme to match their respective DEIS band. Schools are assigned to the DEIS bands based on the location of the school and their level of concentrated educational disadvantage. The school referred to by the Deputy is a rural DEIS primary school. Amongst...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (6 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 agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115 together. ETBs and Principals have a responsibility for the quality and effectiveness of education and the management of staff in a school as set out in the Education Act 1998. Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 provides for the suspension and dismissal of teachers and principals by employers. The Minister for Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The financial package approved by Government to support schools recognises that COVID-19 poses significant challenges for schools and has made provision for additional funding which is being provided to schools to meet costs relating to COVID-19. Schools have been provided with a range of COVID-19 capitation grants to cater for enhanced cleaning regimes and the purchase of necessary supplies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: Ireland’s 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) were established on 1 July 2013. They have statutory responsibility for education and training, youth work and a range of other functions. ETBs manage and operate second-level schools, further education colleges delivering adult and community education and training programmes, and multi-faith community national schools. The general...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: 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 eligibility criteria will be waived. If there is no service or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The provision of Irish-medium education is a priority for my Department and the Government, and we share a strong commitment to increasing the number of Irish-medium places available and providing suitable accommodation in this regard. As the Deputy may be aware, new schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and after consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers will remain in their current interim location for 2022/23 academic school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 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 the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has recently announced the establishment of Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) to support the needs of Ukrainian children arriving in Ireland. These Education and Language Teams will be hosted by the 16 regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and will be staffed by existing regionally-based education support personnel working closely together to ensure good...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (6 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership as Minister for Education. It is in private ownership. The Deputy may wish to make further enquiries with the current property owners.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (5 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I want to be clear that the school building programme continues apace. It is to the credit of all involved that even during lockdown, we managed to continue to do the work that needed to be done. There is no question of the school building programme not progressing as it should, and rightly so. The primary issue raised by the Deputy related to accommodation being made for Ukrainian...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (5 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I want to assure the House and the Deputy that meeting the educational needs of children coming to Ireland from the Ukraine is a priority for this Government. I acknowledge the terrific work that is being done on the ground in terms of meeting the needs and the challenges. I have had the opportunity to visit a number of schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (5 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 the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (5 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: A revised ex gratia scheme to implement the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in O'Keeffe v Ireland, which concerned sexual abuse in day schools, is open for applications. This scheme, which was developed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, provides for ex gratia payments to be made to those who are eligible to apply and satisfy the criteria as set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (5 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership as Minister for Education. In respect of the other matters raised by the Deputy my officials will be in contact with the Deputy’s office in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (5 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 the Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (5 Apr 2022)

Norma Foley: I announced on 9 March, 2022 the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools. These schools were identified as having the highest levels of educational disadvantage. In the 2022/23 academic year there will be 1,194 schools in the DEIS Programme - 960 Primary and 234 Post Primary. This will also mean a €32million increase in my Department's expenditure on DEIS programme...