Results 13,761-13,780 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The site to which the Deputy refers is a zoned site to meet a potential future school requirement in the settlement in order to serve newly establishing neighbourhood(s). At this point, given the early stage of development, there is not yet a requirement to establish an additional school in order to meet a demographic need but this site is positioned to meet to meet a future anticipated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The patronage divesting process arises from the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, following which my Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population in 2012 and 2013 to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently in discussions with another public body regarding the acquisition of a permanent site for Killester/Raheny/Clontarf ETNS. This site option for the new school is within the school planning area. The nature of these negotiations is complex but good progress is being made. However due to the confidential nature of these negotiations it is not possible to provide any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: A number of new Irish-medium gaelscoileanna and a gaelcholáiste have been established in the Fingal area in the last decade. As the Deputy may be aware, 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 Information System, using data from a range of sources, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school 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. Planning permission was secured for this project in May 2020 on the basis of a proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 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. A copy of the guidance is published on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: As provided for in the circulars on exemptions from the study of Irish, the Department is planning to commence an initial review of the operation of the circulars following two years of implementation (September 2019). The circulars have moved away from a categorical, diagnostic model to a needs based model in line with Department policy. Therefore a report from a psychologist or other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is currently in interim accommodation on its proposed permanent site at Colpe, Mill Road, Drogheda pending delivery of its permanent accommodation project. The planning application required for the additional interim accommodation which the school will require for the 2022/23 academic year needed to take cognisance of the overall Shannon Homes...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy for his question. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020-21 school year, more than 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 €224.7...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate the issues being brought forward to constituency offices. I am a rural Deputy myself and I understand that and the importance of the school transport system. We have made significant progress in the past year in addressing many of the issues that were problematic last year. This has been helped in no small measure by the review that is in place and as a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies. I confirm, once again, that the planning for school transport for the 2021-22 school year has proceeded on the basis that the public health measures in place at schools closed at the end of last year would remain as term began in this new school year. This included the recommendation from public health that post-primary services would operate at 50% capacity and that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the points the Deputies have made. They do not have to tell me the value of school secretaries and caretakers. I have worked all my teaching life in the school sector and I am very familiar with the work of school secretaries and, indeed, caretakers. Specifically on some of the points that have been made, a phased approach is being taken to these discussions. The first...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Equipment (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance 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. A copy of the guidance is published on the website...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Equipment (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy. There is international demand for carbon dioxide monitors. We ordered them more than four months ago. We are moving into the fifth month now. Ninety-six percent of our primary schools are in possession of their allocation of carbon dioxide monitors. All of our special schools have received their allocation, and all of our post-primary schools have a minimum of ten...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: In the first instance, I acknowledge, as Deputy Ó Laoghaire stated, that there is enormous cross-party support for, and recognition of, this area. I appreciate the points that Deputy Connolly made. I must say that for all the reasons outlined by the Deputy, a new DEIS identification process and mechanism based on statistical information will be found going forward. The important point...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of the school community and the Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. I welcome the significant progress that has been made through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, in recent days. This builds upon previous recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Staff (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Again, I acknowledge, as the Deputy has done, that considerable work has been done and it has demanded the co-operation of all involved. I acknowledge that in respect of the union, the Departments, given that this involves the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as well as my Department, and the WRC. To give some background, on 13 September the parties engaged at the WRC, whereby...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: A key part of the DEIS plan was the introduction of a new DEIS identification process based on an objective and statistics-based model to determine which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS programme. An extensive body of work has been undertaken in terms of the refinement of this model based on the latest school enrolment data and data available from the 2016 census under the HP deprivation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I absolutely appreciate the conviction with which the Deputy poses these questions. She has recognised that it is very important that there is a body of work that can be used as an appropriate framework for DEIS. It is at a very advanced stage - it is at consultation stage with stakeholders, which is important. We are in the final stages of it but it is an enormous body of work. There is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I reiterate that there is an enormous commitment to this issue within the Department. The funding in excess of €20 million speaks for itself. Significant work has been done and supports put in place, not just for the teaching of the Irish language but also for providing supports to Irish-medium schools within Gaeltacht areas and, indeed, outside them. Work has commenced on the...