Results 14,241-14,260 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Service Executive (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: Schools Administration (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 are intended to give clear direction and guidance to school authorities and to school personnel in relation to meeting the statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and in the continued implementation within the school setting of the best practice guidance set out in the...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is very aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 11 January 2021, all students, including students who were in fifth year and who are due to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022, engaged in a programme of remote learning with their schools. Students in fifth year were prioritised for a return...

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 2020/21 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. All children who are eligible...

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

Norma Foley: A key part of the DEIS Plan was the introduction of a new DEIS identification process based on an objective, 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 Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index....

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

Norma Foley: My Department’s gross voted allocation for 2021 amounts to some €8.96 billion, and is being expended on first, second and early years’ education. The bulk of this funding is expended on paying the salaries of teachers and other school staff including those in the area of special needs education. It is also expended on paying pensions, the school transport scheme, the...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). I can confirm that a Design Team to deliver this project was appointed by the NDFA in April 2021. The Design Team is now preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design). While at this early stage it is not possible to provide details or a timeline for completion of the...

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

Norma Foley: The building project to which the Deputy refers is an extension and refurbishment project to cater for 750 pupils. Works commenced on site in October 2020 and subject to no issues arising, completion is expected in the final quarter of 2022.

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

Norma Foley: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 1 of Architectural Planning, which includes site assessment and location suitability, and initial sketch scheme. Since the appointment of the Design Team in January 2020, my Department have held a number of interim Stage 1 meetings with the Design Team and Project Manager . An End of Stage 1...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has initiated a site identification and assessment exercise for a 1,000 pupil post primary school in the area in question and its environs. While a site acquisition process is underway and, given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time A similar exercise was...

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

Norma Foley: Officials from my Department have identified a number of potential site options in Wicklow Town for the permanent location for Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School and negotiations are ongoing with the landowners. My Department is working towards acquiring the most suitable site for this school while ensuring value for money for the exchequer is achieved. Officials from Wicklow County...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this project includes a 2 classroom SEN base (ASD Unit). My Department has approved the project to proceed to Stage 2(a) of the architectural planning process which is the developed design stage. It is a matter for...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. I am pleased to confirm that this project will provide accommodation for a long term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils with a 4 classroom SEN base (ASD unit) included. The NDFA has started...

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

Norma Foley: 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 Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school...

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

Norma Foley: 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 Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021. This project was approved in April 2021 and has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. The project will provide for the following accommodation at the school: 1 x General classroom, 1 x Music room, 1 x Textiles room, 1 x Art...

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

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Cavan & Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). I am pleased to advise of the recent appointment of the design team. This design team will now design the buildings, obtain the necessary statutory planning permissions, and move the project onward to tender and construction in due course. While at this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

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

Norma Foley: The annual funding allocation for my Department is agreed following extensive consideration of the requirements for the primary and post primary schools sectors. As part of that process, funding requirements are subject to detailed scrutiny and to engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The agreed allocation is set out in the annual Revised Estimates which are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department’s approach to supporting well-being and mental health is set out in its Well-being Policy Statement and Framework for Practice first published in 2018 and refreshed in 2019. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to: - build core social and...