Results 13,541-13,560 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level.  My Department will spend over €150 million on the DEIS Programme in 2021, which includes some €26.07 million for the School Completion Programme. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The procurement, purchase, refurbishment, renting and leasing of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments. The number, terms and cost of the leases is a matter for the OPW. I can confirm to the Deputy that new office space in Blanchardstown was acquired for the Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The procurement, purchase, refurbishment, renting and leasing of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as the agent for Government departments and offices. The number, terms and cost of leases is a matter for the OPW. I can confirm to the Deputy that office buildings occupied by my Department are in use.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: As outlined in the earlier response, there are a number of published reports and ongoing consultation work highlighting the needs of survivors.  For example, the report Consultations with Survivors of Institutional Abuse on Themes and Issues to be addressed by Survivor Led Consultation was published in August 2019 while the Facing the Future conference report was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The site for the school referred to by the Deputy is being acquired with full planning permission.   As part of the conditions of sale, the lodgement of planning permission is under the remit of the vendor. The Department has been working closely with the vendor to expedite a planning application for the new school. As with all school building projects, pre-planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (19 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: There are seven post primary schools in the school planning area in question, six of these schools have a Catholic ethos and one has a Church of Ireland ethos. Two of the schools have ongoing projects. RN60290B St Paul’s Collegehad an Additional Accommodation Application approved in July 2020 for 2 Construction Rooms,1 Home Economics Room, 1 Music Room, 2 Art Rooms, I Technology Prep...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of Incremental Credit for previous experience for Special Needs Assistants is outlined in Circular 0139/2006, and was agreed in the first instance, by the Teacher Conciliation Council (TCC).  This Council is comprised of representatives of the teacher unions, school management bodies, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 Oct 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 Staff (19 Oct 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. The staffing arrangements also include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of difficulties being experienced by some schools in recruiting substitute teachers, particularly at primary level. At post primary level the challenges appear to refer more to the recruitment of teachers of certain subjects, although the recruitment of substitute teachers is also an issue. A range of measures have been put in place to provide enhanced substitute...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and once available, it will be forwarded directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The use of bicycles is encouraged and secure and covered cycle parking facilities are provided as part of major new builds and refurbishment projects, and in accordance with Planning Permission Conditions. Where no major project is being undertaken, the relevant mechanisms for addressing the type of issues raised by the Deputy are the Minor Works Grant for small-scale works or the Summer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has published guidelines to assist in the identification and the assessment for suitability of new sites for schools where the procurement of a new site is required. The relevant guidelines are TGD-025 for Primary School site identification and TGD-027 for Post-Primary site identification. All technical guidelines are available on thewww.gov.iewebsite at;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: Among the COVID-19 supports provided for the 2020/21 school year, additional measures to provide for substitution to cover for teacher absences were introduced.  These included a major expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panels.  These were extended and currently almost 380 newly appointed supply panel teachers are employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together. As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff. This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a number of policies and programmes which are supportive of homework clubs for students at risk of educational disadvantage.  All DEIS schools receive an additional DEIS grant which is to be used to support the implementation of the schools’ DEIS Action Plan for Improvement. This Plan sets targets under key themes, such as attendance, retention,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for Primary schools.  At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in the local authority areas. As Minister for Education I am very conscious of the importance of library services...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Oct 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.  As the Deputy is aware,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Oct 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded by my Department to the Deputy.