Results 1,381-1,400 of 19,412 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders indicates that survivors have criticised the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) on the basis that they see them as an unfair mechanism used to silence individuals and protect organisations who have committed criminal acts. A number of survivors indicated to the Scoping...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders was a non-statutory process and did not have statutory investigative powers. It has reported what it has been told by each person, organisation or agency that it contacted with requests for information and it did not make findings of fact based on that information. As a non-statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Department engages with the Teaching Council across all issues of relevance, in accordance with legislation, and there has been engagement on the matter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The first phase of Schools PV Programme was launched on 23rd November 2023. It will provide eligible schools with a 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar PV, which equates to approximately 16 solar panels. Since the launch of the first phase of the Schools PV Programme late last year, approvals have been provided to more than 1,100 schools and we are seeing the impacts today as PV panels...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school in question to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for roof works. The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works and the school was advised to submit a revised scope of works with an accompanying itemised cost breakdown. Once this is received the EWS team will review the revised application and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings, in 2021, for a project to provide 2 SET rooms and 1 general classroom. The responsibility for delivery of the project has been devolved to the school authority. The project in question was approved through its initial architectural design stage following a review by my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, from the school in question, for both mainstream and special education classrooms. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: On 5th March this year I announced details of a new scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Special schools who have Students enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive this funding. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and 70 special schools, are already...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: A project brief for the school referred to by the deputy is currently being determined by my department and it is our intention to progress the project into architectural planning as soon as possible The Department of Education can confirm that agreement has been reached to transfer the former Abbey Community College site, Wicklow town, to the Minister for Education. The site will provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Properties (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education can confirm that agreement has been reached to transfer the former Abbey Community College site, Wicklow town, to the Minister for Education. The site will provide accommodation for Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School on a permanent basis. A project to develop the site to provide the required accommodation for 600 pupils plus Special Education Needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. Since Budget 2023, major investment totalling over €169 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The officials in my department are in discussions with the current owner of the site to progress the transfer of the ownership of the site to the Minister. You will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Program to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). The accommodation brief for the project is being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 950 school building projects have been completed and 350 other projects are under construction, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 project currently at construction involves a total state investment of over €1.5 billion. The Department announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: A sensory room in a school can enhance and promote the health and wellbeing of the whole school with a focus on both the culture and the environment. It is a designated area within a school that can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate to be better prepared for learning and interacting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department. As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

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 30 September. The staffing arrangements include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. An...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that a response has been sent to the correspondent as follows: In recognising the linguistic, social and cultural importance of Irish and English in Ireland, both languages are included as core subjects in the national curricula for recognised primary and post-primary schools and centres for education in Ireland. This has been the case since the foundation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I refer to your recent email regarding accommodation at Skerries Community College. The school referred to by the Deputy was approved a project to cater for a school with 1,300 students. The building project for this school has been devolved for delivery to Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) under a service level agreement. Significant technical challenges for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state 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 (8 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Leave entitlements for public servants are determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR). Under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998, the Minister for Education, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, is authorised to determine the terms and conditions of employment for Special Needs Assistants employed in...