Results 14,261-14,280 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: It is planned that all schools will return fully at the end of August/early September in line with their normal planned reopening times. During the last school year significant measures were put in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school and a significant funding package of approx €650m was made available to support schools in this respect. The...

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

Norma Foley: On 14 June 2020 the Department of Education and Skills published a Request for Information (RFI) to identify PPE, Consumables and Equipment Suppliers to support the education sector. This procurement was managed as a negotiated procedure under Article 32 for the 2016 Procurement Regulations in order to secure supplies in time to reopen the sector’s schools and institutions. The...

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

Norma Foley: A copy of the guidance is published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-s chools/. The over-arching approach in the guidance is for schools to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use (e.g. during break-times or lunch-times and also at the end of each school day) and partially open when classrooms are in use. The guidance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Projects (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 provision of ventilation is an integral component of the Departments’ technical guidelines, specifically TGD 020 which can be accessed on the Department’s website: www.education.ie/en/School-Design/Technical-Guidance-Documen...

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

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The information will be compiled and forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

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 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: Irish Language (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The school referenced by the Deputy is a unit within a post-primary school. While there are a small number of students enrolled in the unit, to facilitate continuity of provision for those students, the Department will continue to provide support up to the levels previously approved for the unit, in accordance with need.

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

Norma Foley: As part of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, my Department has committed to creating opportunities for expanding Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht in the context of the April 2018 announcement on the establishment of 42 new schools from 2019 to 2022, which will afford particular consideration to the establishment of Gaelscoileanna, Gaelcholáistí, and...

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

Norma Foley: The new Framework for Junior Cycle focusses on active and collaborative learning. It gives greater flexibility and autonomy to schools in terms of subject selection, and new short courses, to tailor a student’s learning to achieve better outcomes for that student. Students are able to study up to 10 subjects for certification through the new Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement. ...

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

Norma Foley: The importance of good ventilation is an increasing and important aspect of public health advice on managing Covid-19 risks and this led to the establishment of an Expert Group by the Department of Health. A sub-group of the main Expert Group focussed exclusively on the issue of improving and monitoring ventilation in schools. The Expert Group noted the strength of the ventilation guidance....

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

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a revised ex gratia scheme to implement the European Court of Human Rights judgement (ECtHR) relating to childhood sexual abuse in day schools is now open for applications. The Scheme, which was developed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, provides for ex gratia payments to be made to those who qualify to apply for the Scheme and who satisfy the...

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

Norma Foley: The EU-NRRP funding provided is in respect of two projects in the Digital area - one for high speed broadband connectivity for primary schools (Project A), the other for funding to provide interventions to address the digital divide, particularly access to digital devices and relevant ICT infrastructure (Project B). Project Awill provide €13.5m in funding. This will support the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1071, 1072 and 1073 together. Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website. At primary level, each one point reduction in the...

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

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to full year cost of measure is set out in the table below. Details Estimated Full Year Cost €m Indicative estimate of providing free primary and post-primary school books to all pupils across all fully publicly funded schools based on a survey by Barnardos €40 ...

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

Norma Foley: I am keenly aware of the vital contribution of secretaries and caretakers within school communities and I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools. On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department implemented the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator. The Arbitrator...

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

Norma Foley: The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) programme is one of three Leaving Certificate options made available by my Department for senior cycle students that schools can choose from. It is the responsibility and choice of individual schools to decide which Leaving Certificate programmes to provide. Schools are encouraged to provide maximum access to these Leaving Certificate options and to...

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

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the works in question would normally be paid for out of the Schools Minor Works Grant as it would be considered a maintenance issue. However, under certain circumstances, such as a storm, which caused the trees to fall or become unsafe the school could apply for funding under my Departments Emergency Works Scheme to have the trees removed. To date the...

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1080 and 1081 together. My Department contributes €91,081 annually to the renting of prefabs for the school referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy will be aware that a major building project for the school is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the applications for Planning Permission,...