Results 12,761-12,780 of 19,601 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The payment of a minor works grant totalling €45 millionfor primary schools and special schools as part of additional support in the context of Covid-19 was announced on the 13th of December 2021. This is broken into €30 millionallocation of Minor Works Grant and a top up allocation of €15 million. This significant increase in funding for schools will enable them to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: To provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor worksfunding of €17m for post-primary schools, was recently announced. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: Schools in the fee-charging sector may apply for funding to support enhanced ventilation by submitting details of their specific requirements to Financial Support Services Unit. Applications will be assessed on a case by case basis taking into account the specific requirements in relation to ventilation having regard to the Department’s published guidance.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (16 Dec 2021)

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. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools have been provided with class teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate safely during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice.  The infection prevention and control measures in place in schools have worked very effectively to prevent and control Covid-19 in schools.  The Department will continue to work closely with public health officials and the education stakeholders in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 421, inclusive, together. To provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor worksfunding of €17m for post-primary schools, was recently announced. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question for major capital works comprising of a new school building. Under the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a building project for the school to which he refers, is being devolved for delivery to the Joint Managerial Body (JMB). The brief for this project includes the extension, refurbishment and re-purposing of existing accommodation to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment (LTPE) figure of 750 pupils and also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate 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 Transport (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 113 together. School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is aware of the contact details of the officials in my Department dealing with the project.  The major building project for this school is currently at Stage 3 -  Tender Stage and is working through the tender process.  As the tender process is ongoing the Deputy will appreciate that commercially sensitive information in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a request for payment from the school in question and Department officials are communicating with the school authority regarding same. My Department monitors these payments to ensure that they are paid as promptly as possible. As the contract is between the school authority and the rental company, my Department has no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department published its Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 earlier this year, setting out the vision, mission and strategic goals that will guide the Department’s work programme in the three-year period 2021-2023. I intend to publish an Action Plan for Education in early 2022 which will outline priorities for the year ahead, and which will elaborate on and develop the strategic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.  It is open to the school authority to make an application for additional accommodation through the 'Additional School Accommodation scheme (ASA)' which is available at www.education.ie.  I also wish to advise...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education 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, their parents and school staff and are very effective. Public Health continue to advise that the two most important actions to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 (and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (15 Dec 2021)

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 Department’s ventilation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays.  There are no plans to alter the school break...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Dec 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education 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, their parents and school staff and are very effective. Public Health continue to advise that the two most important actions to prevent the introduction and spread of Covid-19 (and...