Results 14,281-14,300 of 20,049 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capitation Grants (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019. The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: In 2012 a public service-wide review of all allowances was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and as a result certain allowances were abolished with effect from 1stFebruary 2012. My Department issued Circular 0008/2013 which outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role based allowances, sanction for payment to new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website. The over-arching approach in the Department’s ventilation guidance for schools...

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

Norma Foley: The current NDP, as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework, provides for €8.8bn investment in schools during the period 2018 to 2027. During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projectsunder the Large Scale Capital Programme (LSCP) and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including...

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: Site Acquisitions (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, agreement in principle has been reached to acquire a site for the permanent location of the school in question. The location of the permanent site will incorporate the current temporary site at Mill Road, Drogheda at which the school is currently located. Officials in my Department are working together to manage the site acquisition, interim accommodation and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: Managing ventilation is just one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe. Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19. A copy of the guidance is published on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (23 Sep 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 will provide for a two classroom SEN base and has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. This project was approved in March 2021 and is in the early design stage. I can advise the Deputy that the school has also been...

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

Norma Foley: 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 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2022 (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department has, in advance of the Budget, received pre-budget submissions from a number stakeholders in the education sector and from organisations involved in other areas of public policy. As in previous years, relevant submissions continue to be reviewed and they will inform the specific budgetary priorities that I will be seeking to achieve in Budget 2022. These pre-budget...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: - Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area -...

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

Norma Foley: Between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established. The review involved a very broad range of research, consultations and communications...

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: Covid-19 Tests (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The most recent weekly schools testing report outlines that from 29 August 2021 to 11 September 2021, 1,261 close contacts within primary schools have been identified and sent for testing and the positivity rate from these test is 58 cases or 4.39%. This is a very reassuring indicator that transmission in school settings remains at a low level and compares very favourably with community...

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. All children who are...

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

Norma Foley: 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 Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2021)

Norma Foley: The Department has had weekly engagements with stakeholders in relation to public health advice and the implementation of important infection prevention and control measures in schools so that they can continue to operate safely. Throughout the pandemic detailed stakeholder engagement has been a critical factor in identifying the complex challenges that arise for schools and school...

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

Norma Foley: We have provided data for the most recent OECD Education at a Glance report 2020. In table D2.1 page 354 refers, you will find the average class size for Ireland which is 24 for the reporting year 2018-2019. The data published in the OECD report is average class size by country, class size band data is not published. The most recently published detailed class size information can be found...

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

Norma Foley: My Department issued Circular 32/2017 which sets out principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs. These include that all elements of a school uniform should be purchasable from various stores, that wherever possible generic rather than branded items should be specified and the provision to parents of a list of all...

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

Norma Foley: Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils enrolled in recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition. The manner in which voluntary contributions are collected is a matter for school management, however their collection should...