Results 13,681-13,700 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 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 your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Priorities (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: In recent years school management bodies, school leaders and teacher unions have reported that some schools are experiencing difficulties in recruiting teachers, particularly substitute teachers at both primary and post-primary levels and teachers of certain subjects at post-primary level. In response to these difficulties in March 2018, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (17 Nov 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 at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department continues to work closely with another State body to advance a solution for Killester/Raheny/Clontarf ETNS. The solution under consideration will include arrangements for the school for 2022/23. This permanent site option for the new school is in the school planning area. I understand this process is taking a considerable amount of time but due to the complex nature of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (17 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: Departmental Schemes (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: I understand Tusla Education Support Service administers a counselling fund scheme since 2015. This scheme is closed to any new recipients since 2012. I am informed that all counselling grants for the 2021/22 academic year have now been approved and the allocations have issued.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is aware of the challenges currently being experienced and has engaged with the education stakeholders on the issues raised about the current difficulty in accessing substitutes for teacher absences. A range of measures are in place to provide enhanced substitute cover in the context of current challenges. These include a major expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: TThe information in the attached document provides data on COVID-19 related leave taken by teachers, Special Needs Assistants and also Clerical Officers/Caretakers employed under the 1978/1979 Scheme for the period 6thJanuary to 31stOctober, 2021. The data provided does not include staff employed by ETBs as they have a separate payroll system. A breakdown of monthly data and county data in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 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 your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is strongly supportive of the promotion of wellbeing in schools and has a key role to play in the promotion of the wellbeing of children and young people in Ireland. The Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice sets out the ambition and vision of the Department that the promotion of wellbeing will be at the core of the ethos of every school and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: This matter is currently under examination with a view to a possible long term lease being put in place between my Department and the patrons of St.Corban’s Boys National School. This lease will be conditional on the final area that is decided upon not being required for an educational need in the future. Contact has been made with the school patrons with a view to progressing the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, between 2016 and 2020 the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established. The review involved a very broad range of research, consultations...

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

Norma Foley: 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 Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (16 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: In line with commitments given under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, my Department arranged for a review of the 2006 Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy. It is anticipated that this review will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (16 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: A pilot project aimed at improving Traveller and Roma attendance, participation and retention in schools is in place in four locations. The pilot is supported by funding from my Department and from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The pilot has been developed in partnership between the Department of Education, Department of Children, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Education (16 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department commissioned a study on the effectiveness of the Department's anti-bullying guidelines and procedures on Traveller and Roma experiences in the school system. A report has been developed by researchers at DCU’s National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre. It is anticipated that this report will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (16 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: 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 of over €224.7m in 2020. The purpose of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (16 Nov 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the school to which he refers was established in 2019. The school opened in interim accommodation pending the provision of a permanent building. My Department is considering the school's accommodation needs for the 2022/2023 school year and will be liaising with the school's patron as part of this process.

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

Norma Foley: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. In accordance with these rules, each school management authority is required to organise its...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 349 together. The data requested by the Deputy is not readily available. A reply will issue directly to the Deputy.