Results 12,461-12,480 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. The updated guidance for schools is also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The project for Greystones Community College is in the early architectural planning stage which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of the application for Planning Permission.  As part of the conditions of sale, the lodgement of the application for planning permission for the project is under the remit of the vendor. The Department has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The issuing of Single Pension Scheme statements is being progressed by my Department at present. It is intended that Annual Benefit Statements will issue to members in line with the SPS legislation from 2022 onwards.   For members of the pre-existing pension schemes, requests for statements are dealt with on a priority basis including ill-health and family law issues as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the Supreme Court delivered its judgments on January 24th last in the appeals the appeals taken in these cases. It is important to highlight that the students concerned were provided with calculated grades in 2020 following the initial High Court rulings in their cases. The appeals brought initially to the Court of Appeal and subsequently to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Island Communities (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department implemented the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The outcome of which was that many allowances were no longer payable to many new public service entrants including “new entrant” teachers. Circular 8 of 2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that new schools are established, by my Department, on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and only 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, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, agreement in principle had been reached to acquire a site for the permanent location of the school in question. Contracts for sale have now been signed, conditional on the landowner providing required infrastructure upgrades to serve the site. The project to provide the permanent building for the school referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The details of sections of Acts under my Department's auspices which have not been commenced  are set out in the table below. Act Section(s) Details Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 Sections 9 (67-70), 12 (b) Section 12(b) – repeal of section 10 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Over the past number of years, my Department has been working on issues related to teacher supply in primary and post-primary schools. This work is led by the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. The technical report prepared by my Department ‘Developing a Teacher Demand and Supply Model for Ireland 2020-2038’ outlines the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question were approved funding for the installation of a lift under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme in September 2021, as this is a Devolved Scheme the responsibility for progressing the works lies with the school authority. The Emergency Works Team have contacted the school for an update and have been informed that a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Online Safety (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: There are currently extensive training and curricular supports, including through the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and the Webwise Programme, to assist schools in the development of policies and practices on the safe use of the internet and on the prevention of bullying including cyber-bullying. The PDST and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the relevant school authority.  The application from the school in question is being assessed by my Department and the decision will be issued to the school shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that My Department received a request for a change of status from the school in question from a single stream fully vertical, co-educational school to a two stream, fully vertical co-educational school from September 2022.  As part of the assessment process, my Department has taken into account the demographic projections and current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested relating to the 42 new schools, announced in 2018, is set out in tabular format for ease of reference.   When a new school is being established to cater for demographic need a patronage process is run. This patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons. Parental preferences for each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: In consultation with Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB, who are the owners of the site, my Department is considering potential long-term requirements for this property. These considerations will have regard to the projected population growth under Project Ireland 2040. It will also have regard to future requirements for temporary or permanent accommodation solutions for mainstream or special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Please find set out below links to information sent to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council(DLRCC) in relation to the Department’s search for a permanent school site for Gaelscoil laighean. This information was circulated to the Elected Members of DLRCC.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process.  The Design Team have submitted a Stage 3 tender report, which identifies a recommended bidder.  Subject to no issues arising it is envisaged that construction could commence in Quarter 2 of 2022 with an estimated completion timeframe of 21 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: Funding of €20 million is being made available in 2022 so as to enable all schools to purchase books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy resource banks. This funding is additional to that already given for the school books rental scheme and book grants to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Feb 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 my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Inspections (1 Feb 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that the team of  Inspectors within my Department continue to carry out advisory sessions to provide support for schools in implementing the language-based criteria to achieve Gaeltacht school recognition under the provisions of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme. They  also provide information on progress being made by schools to my Department.  In...