Results 14,201-14,220 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: A new specification for Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science was introduced in September 2019. There has been an increase in numbers of students opting to take the Agricultural Science in recent years, with a greater proportion of students taking higher level and there is strong support for the subject. Agricultural Science is a crucial element of the science curriculum at Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. The Department has updated its guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. This was done at the end of May and followed on from work done centrally by an expert group that was looking at the role of ventilation in managing Covid-19....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Early Start Units are in operation in Cork, Limerick, Dublin, Galway, Louth, Waterford and Wicklow. The full list of schools that have an Early Start Unit are listed in the table below which includes location, county and the school’s roll number. Roll No Name of School Location County 17024I Scoil Chroise Naofa Mahon...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Early Start programme was established in 1994, and is a one-year intervention to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. It involves an educational programme to enhance overall development, help prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage. Since the inception of Early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jul 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The matter to which the Deputy refers was initially raised by the pension scheme member directly with the Pension Unit of my Department on 30th June 2021. I am pleased to advise that since that date of contact, the relevant officers in the Pension Unit are actively engaging with the pension scheme member to address the issue and will continue to do so with an expectation that the case will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jul 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 Accommodation (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The acquisition of a zoned school site at Corballis, Donabate - to accommodate a permanent school building is at an advanced stage of legal conveyancing. The project is also dependent on the landowner's submission of an SHD application, out of which the need for the school is arising. Department officials are engaging with the Landowner regarding the potential development of the site. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: School sites are zoned in statutory plans in order to cater for projected future educational requirements in a community. The timing of activating the use of a zoned school site is dependent on the pace and nature of population growth in an area. There has been significant recent population growth in the area surrounding Stocking Avenue and more growth is projected in the context of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. My Department has completed the tender process for the establishment of a new framework of contractors for the delivery of a bundle of Design and Build projects. In June 2021, the school building project referred to by the Deputy was included in a bundle of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Please find attached information for the academic year 2020/2021 - the most recent available data. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and were collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and can be found at the link below; www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individu al-Schools/primary/ . Local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Balance (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The arrangements for the membership of Education and Training Boards (ETBs), including gender balance, are governed by section 30 of the Education and Training Board Act 2013. In accordance with that section, each ETB board is made of up 21 members as follows: - 12 members elected by the relevant local authority; - 2 members elected by ETB staff; - 2 members appointed by the ETB from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jul 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 Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Please find attached requested information for Primary Schools for the years 2017-2020 inclusive, 2020-2021 is the most recent data available. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and were collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and can be found at the link below; www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individu...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jul 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: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0021/2021. The Circular caters for special leave with pay arrangements where a teacher/SNA has been advised to self-isolate and cannot attend the workplace. It also caters for the working arrangements where a teacher/SNA has been advised by the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Schools have put significant measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school and significant funding has been provided to support schools in this respect. The evidence to date from a public health perspective is that schools are low risk environments. The approach to Covid-19 in schools is led by the advice and guidance of the HSE Public Health. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: An application under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme was recently received from the school referred by the Deputy for a new school building incorporating an ASD Unit. While the application for an ASD Unit will be considered under the ASA Scheme and the school authority informed of the outcome, the application for a new school building cannot be considered...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Regarding lands at the school referred to, any proposals for their use requires consideration by my Department in the context of current and future requirements for education provision for the school and the area. Any proposal submitted through the school should clearly demonstrate how the future expansion of the school could be provided for if the proposed arrangement went ahead.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 974, 976 and 977 together. 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...