Results 12,541-12,560 of 19,598 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna Lán-Ghaeilge (25 Jan 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. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission, Fire Cert and Disability Access Cert and the preparation of tender documents. All statutory approvals have been secured. The Design Team is currently working on the finalisation of the Stage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: I will arrange for my Department to issue a response directly to the Deputy in relation to the information sought by her.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 11 January 2021 until schools reopened on 12 April 2021, all students, including students who are due to sit the Junior Cycle state examinations in 2022, engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools. The public health restrictions which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (25 Jan 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: Educational Disadvantage (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18 million for 2022 and €32 million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 to additional schools. This package follows an extensive body of work which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to appropriate COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures in place in schools. These measures protect students/pupils, their parents and school staff and are very effective when adhered to. €122 million of capitation funding has been made available to primary and post primary schools to cater for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: Access to sexual and health 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) is required at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: As part of the arrangements being put in place for the 2022 state examinations, I announced that an alternative set of Leaving Certificate examinations would be run in 2022, shortly after the conclusion of the main set of examinations. These examinations will be limited to certain students who are unable to sit the main set of examinations due to close family bereavement, COVID-19 illness...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification. My Department’s Technical Guidance Documents set the benchmark for sustainable design in school buildings with a clear focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question is the result of an amalgamation approved by my Department, in conjunction with the school Patron, in September 2021. The amalgamation was granted on the condition that the school would operate from the existing school sites and this condition was agreed to by the school Patron. The school authority has been advised that it is open...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. Supplementary information has been requested from the school authority and once this has been received, and the assessment completed, a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has reached an agreement in principle for the acquisition of the site for the proposed school campus referred to by the Deputy. The process is at an advanced stage and my Department is engaging with the vendor to finalise the details for heads of terms for the site. It is intended that this site will facilitate the construction of three schools, including the school in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (25 Jan 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 €289 million in 2021. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: 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. My Department have been advised that these infrastructure upgrades are programmed to be completed by the end of July 2022. The project to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for Major Capital Funding, has been received from the school in question. Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: The information sought by the Deputy on the schedule of the sites considered in advance of the decision to acquire the site at Magee Barracks is contained in the attached document. As it was not possible to obtain a site at the current location of the Curragh Post-Primary school, my Department’s site identification process was informed by the demographic data on post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has commenced a review of my Department’s 2013 Action Plan on Bullying and the 2013 Anti-bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-primary Schools. This review will take account of developments and relevant research since the action plan and procedures were published in 2013 and will specifically consider areas such as cyber bullying, gender...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: My Department has provided guidance to schools in relation to the recording and reporting of Covid-19 related absences. Covid-19 related absences arising from pupils/students who have been requested to self-isolate by a medical professional or for pupils/students who feel unwell with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 must be recorded in accordance with the school’s normal procedures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Jan 2022)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 387 together. My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures in place in schools. These measures protect students/pupils, their parents and school staff and are very effective when adhered to. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has...