Results 14,661-14,680 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department conducted an exercise on the necessity for the establishment of a new post-primary school in the Donaghmede/Howth/Dublin13/Baldoyle/Stapolin school planning area in 2022, taking into account a number of factors, including the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in this school planning area, associated enrolments and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website.  The school to which the Deputy refers is an Education and Training Board (ETB) school. The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB and the distribution of this staffing allocation including Small School posts is a matter for the Chief...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I am not in a position to comment on individual cases or schools.  However, I can say that the ex gratia scheme was established on foot of the specific circumstances arising from and in response to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) relating to Louise O'Keeffe.  The Department undertook a review of the scheme in response to a determination by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that a permanent site option for the new Killester/Raheny/Clontarf ETNS has been identified and it is in the school planning area.  Due to the sensitive nature of site acquisitions in general, it is not possible to give further details at this time. It is difficult to indicate a timeframe for any site acquisition as each process is unique and in some instances complex...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of school building projects by electoral area.  My Department operates on the basis of school planning areas. My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme to cater for current and future educational demands, including schools in the geographic school planning area...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (22 Jun 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: Education Policy (22 Jun 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: School Staff (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent teachers to other schools that have vacancies. Thereafter, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill permanent vacancies from supplementary panels comprised of eligible fixed-term (temporary/substitute) and part-time teachers. The criteria, reviewed annually with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Communications (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Due to restrictions on travel arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not been possible for me to travel to meet my EU counterparts since my appointment. The following table sets out the meetings that I have had with my EU Counterparts since my appointment.  Date Formal Meetings Feb 2021 Informal video conference of Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Jun 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, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.  The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 to 374, inclusive, together. I am keenly aware of the vital contribution of support staff within school communities and I recognise the very important work done by these staff in the running of our schools. In recognition of their role, I have put special arrangements in place for this school year whereby schools will be funded to employ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (22 Jun 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. This report formed the based for the most recent updating of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: 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. Teachers are currently allocated to post primary schools at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas for the 2021/2022 school year, including the school planning area to which the Deputy refers. Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a school is the responsibility of, and will be led and managed by, Public Health HSE. My Department has confirmed with Public Health that the enhanced Public Health schools teams are available to fully support schools, with full contact tracing and bulk fast-track testing provided within the school setting. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: The information sought by the Deputy is not held by my Department. Contact details for the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department are set out in the attached document should the Deputy wish to contact them directly with his query.  Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Education as at 11 May 2021 Name of Body ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jun 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. The allocations for my Department’s Vote for 2020 were set out in the Further Revised Estimate approved by Dáil Éireann on 18 November 2020 while the allocations for 2021 were set down in the Revised Estimate which was considered by the Select Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and...