Results 1,221-1,240 of 19,412 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of correspondence from the school in question requesting the provision of a GP room/school hall. Investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The sraitheanna pictiúr, or picture sequences, are a component of the common Irish Oral test for Higher Level and Ordinary Level candidates, with the Oral test accounting for 40% of the overall marks for Leaving Cert Irish. In response to issues highlighted in National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta Gaelscolaíochta (COGG)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: In response to the Deputy’s two previous Parliamentary Questions regarding this matter, I outlined that the OECD review sets a number of recommendations for future policy, to improve equity and ensure every child and young person at risk of educational disadvantage is supported to achieve their potential in education. Over the coming months my Department will work with other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department of Education. In line with the Department's demographic projections of post primary school place requirements, there has been a continued...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 350 other projects, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.5bn. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was recently granted approval for the provision of two special educational needs classrooms under my department's Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Under Budget 2024 I secured €2 million to fund measures to support the attendance and retention the most educationally disadvantaged children. I was glad today, 22 October 2024, to announce one measure under this funding, the extension of Strand 1 of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot to 61 urban DEIS primary schools in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Finglas, Ballymun and Darndale. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: In June 2021 my Department issued correspondence to the complainant outlining how the allegations would be dealt with. As outlined in my previous response, any concern or allegation of a child protection nature received by staff in the Department of Education is dealt with in accordance with the Department’s Procedures for responding to Child Protection Concerns which come to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is deemed to be a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I refer to my previous answer on this issue to the Deputy in PQ 13820/24 in April of this year. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. There has been one addition to the list since the data was provided to the Deputy in April 2024 and this is the last entry in the table. There are currently seven vacant properties (for which there are no building projects...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the Department currently has an application for capital funding for additional accommodation from the school in question. Since 2020, the department has invested over €5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 350 other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a payroll service to primary schools. The Department relies on the schools to input claims for payment onto the Department's Online Claims System. The teacher referred to by the Deputy will receive payment of salary, including arrears on Thursday 24th October 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department now spends over €180 million annually providing additional supports to just under 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme. This includes an additional €32 million allocated following my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of all children including those who may have experienced trauma. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of the Department has engaged in extensive national training of school staff in the area of trauma-informed practice and has developed an eLearning course for school staff - ‘Introducing a Trauma...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to providing 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 and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. Tusla have advised that this family has been in contact with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Medical Aids and Appliances (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all pupils. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the management authorities, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the...