Results 11,721-11,740 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established by the Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 to 94, inclusive, together. The position in respect of school amalgamations is that the decision making authority belongs to the patron of the school in question. Any proposal to amalgamate a school requires consultation with the relevant stakeholders including parents, teachers, students and local communities. Such proposals must then be agreed with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department launched a two-year action research project in 2021 aimed at supporting small rural schools by encouraging a number of small schools to cluster together in local groups enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions. This project was developed by a working group of school management bodies and teachers’ unions with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together. My Department launched a two-year action research project in 2021 aimed at supporting small rural schools by encouraging a number of small schools to cluster together in local groups, enabling them to collaborate and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions. This project was developed by a working group of school management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department provides funding to all recognised 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 including heating, lighting etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question. 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 Accommodation (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to enable the school in question to build 1 Mainstream classroom & en-suite toilets, 1 SET room and 1 WC for assisted users. The school was recently approved to proceed to construction for the above approved accommodation. I can confirm that no further additional accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Mar 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. Under the terms of the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: 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 30th September. The staffing arrangements also include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: 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 30th September. Budget 2022 progressed the ongoing major investment in our primary education sector which impacts positively on the staffing in primary schools by providing a further 1 point reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department does not currently hold any contracts with the company to which the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently completing Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which involves the production of a complex and detailed set of tender documents and an accurate pre-tender cost check by the Design Team, in accordance with my Departments Technical Guidance Documents, Building Regulations and Public Works Procurement procedures. The Design Team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (23 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: In accordance with section 14 of the Education Act, 1998 it is the duty of a school patron, to appoint where practicable a board of management the composition of which is agreed between patrons of schools, national associations of parents, recognised school management organisations, recognised trade unions and staff associations representing teachers and the Minister. Changes to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education has engaged significantly with the school management bodies and unions to outline the development of the DEIS identification model. In the coming days, further information will be made available on the Department’s website relating to the development and implementation of the DEIS identification model. This will provide a clear outline to schools on how...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education Schemes (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. DEIS is the main policy initiative of my Department to tackle educational disadvantage at school level. Schools in the programme avail of a range of targeted supports aimed at tackling educational disadvantage, including additional classroom teaching posts, home-school community liaison co-ordinator posts, DEIS grant funding and access to the school completion programme....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461, 510 and 544 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 558 together. The war in Ukraine has caused a humanitarian crisis and the Government is committed to welcoming people fleeing war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland. My Department will work with all relevant authorities, education partners and school communities to ensure Ukrainian children of school-going age who are beneficiaries of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (22 Mar 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. It is important to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools.  The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for these staff under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (22 Mar 2022)

Norma Foley: The final determination of the Section 29 Appeals Committee was issued to the parties to this appeal on the 8th March 2022.  The appeals process as provided for under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 has now concluded