Results 13,081-13,100 of 19,618 for speaker:Norma Foley

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I want to be very clear. No single measure is sufficient of itself to meet the challenges that are particularly acute in some areas. I have referenced the fact that those who are on secondment, in particular those who are on secondment to the professional development service for teachers, PDST, will be released and made available. That is an important measure. It is important to say also...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Ensuring schools can operate safely has been a key priority for me as Minister for Education. My Department has always been guided by public health advice on appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures in our schools. These measures protect students, their parents and school staff and are effective. Public health advice is that the two most important actions to prevent...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: At the outset I want to be very clear that we have followed public health advice and guidance in our schools. It is the expert view of public health officials that our schools are places of low transmission, largely because of the very significant and substantial infection prevention and control measures that are in place in schools. Specifically on the points made by the Deputy on CO2...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Again, to reiterate, at the risk of repeating myself, we follow best practice public health advice in our schools. Indeed, that is what we have done in wider society also. The Deputy is aware it is the expert judgment of the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, that there is now a role for antigen testing in our schools and the HSE has been charged with the responsibility of rolling that out. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Educational Reform (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the question and the sincerity with which it is put. The Deputy may be aware that, between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways. The NCCA’s advisory report on the senior cycle has been submitted to my Department for consideration and will be published once...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning areas in Malahide and Portmarnock, County Dublin. Where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is guided by Public Health as to the mitigation measures needed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our schools. The aim of all of the Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures that have been put in place for schools is to support schools to operate safely and prevent the introduction of Covid-19 and also the onward of transmission of Covid-19 among the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: On 30 June 2021, I announced that adjustments would be made to the 2022 Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations. As with previous years, adjustments were developed in conjunction with the Leaving Certificate Exams Advisory Group. This Group includes representation from students, parents, teachers and schools. Details of these adjustments were issued to schools on 19 August 2021 to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Agricultural Science forms an important element of the science curriculum at Leaving Certificate level. The new specification was introduced to schools in 2019 and was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) through a Subject Development Group. Members of the Irish Agricultural Science Teachers Association (IASTA) were represented on the NCCA’s Subject...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2021)

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. My Department have been advised that these infrastructure upgrades are programmed to commence by the end of the year. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools and supporting small schools. Budget 2022 progressed the ongoing major investment in our primary and post primary school and has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level. This is the second...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. My Department continues to engage regularly with the Department of Health, HSE and public health experts regarding COVID-19. The sharing of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a school setting is carried out when a specific public health action is required as a follow up. To...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million 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 of the programme to further schools. This year my Department will spend in the region...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Tá mo Roinn tiomanta chun an soláthar oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge a threisú. Ó foilsíodh an Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, tá dul chun cinn suntasach déanta chun tacú le forbairt agus cur i bhfeidhm an oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá dul chun cinn déanta ar réimse forbairtí curaclaim Gaeilge...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: It is vital that the education system is one in which every child and young person feels supported and nurtured. The teacher education support services funded by my Department provide a wide array of CPD supports to teachers and school leaders which aim to promote inclusivity and equality. These are also key elements of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. Schools also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Building projects are part of the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040. My Department is committed to progressing these projects as quickly as possible. There are currently in excess of 250 school building projects at construction (on site) with a continuous stream of other projects at or near the tendering stage. These are being progressed as quickly as possible....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The approach to supporting schools to operate during Covid-19 has been to follow and implement public health advice. The Department of Education engages regularly with public health experts as well as the Department of Health on these issues. Considerable measures are in place across schools to support their operation from physical distancing to enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the Rath Dara Community College. It is open to the school to liaise with its patron, Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB, regarding any accommodation needs that the school is experiencing. Danu Community Special School was established in 2019 to meet emerging requirements for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. This investment will build on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (23 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Earlier this year I announced an extensive consultation process to help inform the development of the new Digital Strategy for Schools. This is intended as a successor strategy to the previous strategy, which saw considerable involvement, in digital teaching and learning. Central to this was my intention of ensuring that all voices had an opportunity to be heard and to inform the new...