Results 14,301-14,320 of 19,621 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Establishment (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 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: Education Schemes (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Non-formal educational and outdoor activities resources and opportunities for the summer months including summer camps are not provided by my Department. These activities are normally provided for by organisations that charge a fee for their product/service and my Department does not endorse any one product or service. My Department has a general policy of encouraging the use of school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I have already advised the Deputy on the current position regarding the Leaving Certificate Mandarin Chinese specification which was designed as an ab initio course, in the sense that the targeted learners are Irish or international students with no previous knowledge of the language. While heritage speakers are certainly allowed to study the course and sit the exam, the specification is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: 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. A copy of the guidance is published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ad236-guidance-on-ventilation-in-s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: 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. It should be noted that the Expert Group found the Department of Education guidance to be very strong. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Some curriculum specifications and the various syllabuses have specific curriculum content related to this topic. In subjects or modules where it is not specifically mentioned the topic of breastfeeding may occur during class conversation and through interactions with students. For example, from a nutritional aspect the subject of breastfeeding may come up in Post Primary Home Economics...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: My department is committed to making the information on its website accessible to all, regardless of ability. To this end, the Department's website is designed to follow guidelines set out by the W3C (the World Wide Web Consortium). The department aims to comply with Level Double-A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. In addition, a number of Triple-A checkpoints are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department’s 2020 Statistical Report “Projections of full-time enrolment, Primary and Second Level, 2020-2038” sets out projected future enrolments at a national level. Overall, primary enrolments are projected to have peaked in 2018 and are currently on a downward trend. Post-primary enrolments are projected to peak in 2024. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants. The total year one cost of equalising the pay of new entrant teachers to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations and the system of SEC-Accredited Grades for Leaving Certificate 2021. 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 (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: As someone who comes from the school sector, I am keenly aware of the vitally important role played by school secretaries and caretakers in the running of our schools. In recognition of this role, I have put special arrangements in place for this school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current 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. The purpose of my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 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 more than 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. Due to the HSE ransomware...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (14 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: State Examinations (14 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The retention rate is calculated based on the first-year entry, tracking the progression through post-primary until the leaving certificate examination. The LC retention rate of Wexford is in line with the national average for the past four years. Local.Authority Entry.Year LC.sit.year Cohort ESL LCexam LCexam.per Wexford...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 Jul 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: School Funding (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The use of bicycles is encouraged and secure and covered cycle parking facilities are provided as part of major new builds and refurbishment projects, and in accordance with Planning Permission Conditions. Where no major project is being undertaken, the relevant mechanisms for addressing the type of issues raised by the Deputy are the Minor Works Grant for small-scale works or the Summer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Schools have been advised that it is expected that they will continue to operate with the current infection prevention and control measures outlined in school Covid response plans to support their safe operation during Covid-19 when they reopen in for the 2021/2022 school year. Schools will continue to be supported in terms of the additional resources necessary to provide for these measures....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 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...