Results 1,461-1,480 of 19,412 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process. The planning application was lodged with Wicklow County Council and full grant of planning permission has been received. When Stage 2b has been finalised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is my Department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. It is centred on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together. At primary level, teachers are allocated to schools at an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. DEIS Urban Band 1 schools receive an average allocation of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. Each 1 point reduction in the staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) is a national programme sponsored by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Introduced in 1996, it is a social inclusion programme that is aimed at students who are identified as being at risk of being socially or academically isolated or at risk of early school leaving before the (then) Junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all children. In June 2023 I launched a €5 million pilot of counselling and wellbeing supports in primary schools in selected counties. This Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot is in addition to the range of mental health and wellbeing supports already being provided by my Department and the excellent work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. Budget 2024 introduced several measures reflecting this Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in the education system to address teacher supply issues. Included was a new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Following extensive research and consultation in preparation for the redevelopment of the Primary Curriculum, modern foreign languages (MFL) will be introduced as part of the Primary Language Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile (PLC/CTB) on a phased basis for 3rd to 6th classes from September 2025. The NCCA consulted on the Draft Primary Curriculum Specification on MFL from March to June...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is the key policy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. As part of Budget 2024, I announced a major investment of over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The first phase of the Schools Photovoltaic (PV) Programme launched in November 2023 to over 1600 schools. It will provide eligible schools with 6 kWp of roof-mounted solar PV, which equates to approximately 16 solar panels. Since the launch of the first phase of the Schools PV Programme late last year, my Department has had a very positive response to the scheme, with over 1500 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: A total of 425 BLAST residencies were awarded for the 2024-2025 school year. While the number of students participating per school is not collected routinely, it can be estimated from the data gathered from a selection of schools during evaluation that more than 13,500 students are participating in the programme in the current school year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Bringing Live Arts to Students and Teachers Programme, known as BLAST, aims to provide pupils in schools all over the country, time and the space to work with a professional artist/creative practitioner on imaginative, creative and fun projects. BLAST is a key Department of Education initiative of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 which aims to foster creativity in schools focus and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Transition Year holds an important place in the programme for Senior Cycle Redevelopment and is highly regarded as a valuable year for students that offers opportunities for life skills, personal, social and academic development, and experience of adult and working life. All schools design their own Transition Year programmes within set guidelines to suit the needs and interests of their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state 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 Transport (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 198 and 213 together. The large scale capital project at the school is for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The original grant of planning expired in December 2022, but due to changes to the Planning Acts in September 2021, it was no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...