Results 14,341-14,360 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (13 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-ventilatio...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Work is ongoing within my Department with a view to acquiring a site suitable for the permanent needs of Ennis Educate Together NS. Department officials are continuing to liaise with Clare Co Co on the matter and are making every effort to prioritise same. To this end, a site has been identified, deemed suitable and at an advanced stage of negotiation. On foot of a recent meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department’s Design & Build (D&B) delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the years 2016 to 2018 is not readily available in the format requested.  A recent analysis of project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The Early Start Programme is a one-year preventative intervention pre-school scheme offered in 40 primary schools in designated disadvantaged areas. The scheme has been in operation since 1994 and can facilitate up to 1,620 children. The scheme is closed to applications from new schools. Of the 40 primary schools none are operated within Gaelscoileanna. The Department of Children,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (13 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: Departmental Legal Cases (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by officials in my Department. A response will be fowarded  to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The latest year for which the data is available is 2018 and is presented in the table below. - Primary level Post-primary level Total expenditure € 3,784,796,714 € 3,490,341,316 Annualized full-time equivalent* enrolment 562,331 416,410 Expenditure per student ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: In May 2021 the Government announced a package of supports to allow primary and post primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a COVID-19 pandemic response measure for summer 2021.  The total funding available to provide summer programmes this year is up to €40 million,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Chinn na hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéal go léir le chéile scéim pointí bónais a oibriú don mhatamaitic ardleibhéil Ardteistiméireachta ar feadh tréimhse thrialach ceithre bliana ó 2012 go 2015. Rinneadh é seo de bhun iarratais ón Aire Oideachais ag an am mar chuid d’athbhreithnithe a rinneadh ar an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (13 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Rights of People with Disabilities (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Action 40 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy provides that my Department will amend its Technical Guidance Documents for school and educational buildings to ensure universal design principles and guidelines are fully considered in all designs for new building and, where possible, in the retrofit of existing buildings. The Department is committed to developing inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. 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.   All children who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils which is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (13 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provided €100m in grant funding to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools to address their ICT needs during 2020, the final issue of funding under the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools. This included €50m in respect of the 2020-2021 school year brought forward and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: Leaving Certificate subject specifications are developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in line with prevailing government policy on curriculum and assessment. The development process is a thorough one involving extensive consultation, following which the subject specification is approved through the representative structures of the NCCA and subsequently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department provides each of the sixteen Education and Training Board (ETB) with a staffing allocation to support its schools, colleges, head office and other centres of education. In providing these supports, it is the responsibility of each ETB to recruit and manage staffing levels within this allocation and to deploy staff in roles in accordance with the priorities and needs as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (8 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that the average direct pay and non-pay cost per annum of employing an Educational Psychologist in my Department's NEPS service is €75,000 per annum. The estimated annual additional cost, therefore, of employing 100 psychologists would be €7.5m. It should be noted, however, that a recruitment exercise on such a relatively extensive scale would require in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the patron of the school referred to, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), will progress the delivery of interim accommodation to address the school’s accommodation requirement for the 2021/22 academic year. KWETB, fully supported by the Department, and fully conscious of the urgent need for this interim accommodation, is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2021)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). I can confirm that a Design Team to deliver this project has been appointed by WWETB. The Design Team is currently preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design). While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the...