Results 13,441-13,460 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: 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 areas and uses a Geographical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at tender stage and the return date for the tenders is the middle of November 2021. Subject to no issues arising during the tender process it is envisaged that this project should commence on site late in Quarter 1 of 2022. Once the project commences on site it will take approximately 30 months to construct the building.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is Ennis Community College and is classified as a Community College. This school is an English-medium school which also has an Aonad/Irish-medium unit known as "Gaelcholáiste an Chláir". The patron of this Community College has written to the Department seeking approval for the Aonad known as "Gaelcholáiste an Chláir" to transition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 Nov 2021)

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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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 €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The management authority of each school has responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year programme in that school. Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, the school takes into account the possibilities offered by local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 566 together. My Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that officials from my Department have identified a number of potential site options for the permanent location of the school referred to by the Deputy. A technical site assessment is currently underway of these sites. Where a suitable site has been acquired, my Department will be in a position to progress the project concerned into the architectural planning process. Due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (2 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 package follows an extensive body of work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 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 of over €224.7m in 2020. All children who are eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and is being collated by officials in my Department. A response will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The Primary Staffing Appeals Board was set up in 2002 as an independent mechanism to consider staffing appeals made by school authorities in regard to teaching staff allocations. The Appeals Board is a technical committee that adjudicates on appeals using criteria published in the annual Staffing Arrangements for Primary Schools (Section 4 of Circular 19/2021). The Board operates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 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 of over €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (2 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 package follows an extensive body of work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Good ventilation was identified as an important aspect of public health advice on managing Covid-19 risks and this led to the establishment of an Expert Group by the Department of Health. A sub-group of the main Expert Group focussed exclusively on the issue of improving and monitoring ventilation in schools. A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website. This report formed the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: In line with the Government’s plan COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting the rest of our society and economy is now fully reopened as we learn to live with Covid-19. It remains a key objective of the plan for living with COVID-19 that our children and school staff can attend school safely. Further school closures are not envisaged during this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (2 Nov 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 the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (2 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: Tá an láithreán criosaithe scoile ag An Corrbhaile, Domhnach Bat, atá á fháil ag mo Roinn chun slí a dhéanamh d’fhoirgneamh buan don scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta, beagnach i gcrích ó thaobh an tíolactha dhlíthiúil. Tá an tionscadal nasctha le hiarratas ó úinéir na talún faoin...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (21 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department's commitment in the Programme for Government to expand access to social innovation programmes to all post-primary schools is ongoing..  In recent years, for example, my Department has provided a grant in aid and  also disimbursed Dormant Accounts Funding to 'The Young Social Innovators’ (YSI).  The YSI, pay particular attention to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 211 together. The permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.  The project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Oct 2021)

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...