Results 13,881-13,900 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 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, are 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...

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

Norma Foley: I know from my own experiences that school secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The Department previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019...

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

Norma Foley: I know from my own experiences that school secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools. The Department previously fully implemented and funded the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019...

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

Norma Foley: The provisions related to the Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department's Circular Letter 41/2014 titled ‘Job Sharing Scheme for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools’ and for teachers is contained in Chapter 8 of my Department’s Circular Letter Circular 0054/2019 titled ‘Leave Schemes for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 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 my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 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 my...

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

Norma Foley: Thereis currently no application for building works in my Department for the school named. My officials have made contact directly with the Deputy in this regard. The Environmental Protection Agency is a separate entity to the Department of Education.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Please find attached the 2020-21, the latest available data, pupil-teacher ratios for primary and post primary by county as well as the average class size by county for primary. We are currently unable to calculate class size at post primary due to the difficulty of recording discrete class sizes where pupils have different subject choices and subject levels available to them. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 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: Schools Building Projects (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has a large-scale and ambitious roll-out of school building projects under the National Development Plan and as part of Project Ireland 2040. The continuation of construction work on school building projects during lockdown period in early 2021 was an important enabler to facilitating the delivery of our school building programme. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. My Department continuously monitors demographic growth in order to ensure that sufficient school places are available and the requirement to provide new schools is generally driven by demographic pressures arising from development. Two new primary schools were established in the North Kildare area in 2019, one under the patronage of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The average class size for schools in North Kildare is 25.4 based on mainstream pupils in mainstream classes, table attached. Mainstream Pupils Mainstream Classes Mainstream Class Constituency Enrolment per Return 2020/21 Count Class 2020/21 Average Class Size Kildare North 16025 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for early years education outside the formal education system. However, my Department has a key role in supporting quality within the sector and works closely with the DCEDIY. My Department's main intervention in the provision of early years education is the Early Start programme and the Rutland...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projects under the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school...

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has given approval to the Patron of the school in question to appoint a consultant to undertake an Options Study of the proposed property to meet the school's permanent accommodation needs. This Study, when available, will be used as a basis for determining the necessary refurbishment works required to the property. In the interim, my Department...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 to 292, inclusive, together. My Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system particularly in terms of additional capacity requirements. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projectsunder the Large Scale Capital Programme and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The annual estimated cost of allocating €10 per pupil to fund library books in primary schools would be circa €5.4 million. An arrangement was made through An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in 1971, whereby the local authority librarians would provide services for schools. At that time my Department made a grant available for this purpose based on the number of pupils enrolled in...

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

Norma Foley: Under Article 44 of the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction classes if they so wish. Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required, where schools provide religious instruction that they clearly set out in their admission...