Results 15,281-15,300 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 provides inter alia that the Minister will establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) classes for the family of deaf children and education and support for children whose primary language ISL is attending recognised schools; and training for teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many pupils who are Deaf or hard of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: 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 School of choice – pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's school building programme. The first step in facilitating this project involves a site for the new 1,000 student school building. The master-planning exercise in relation to the Kildare Wicklow ETB owned site at Novara Avenue has yet to be completed. This exercise will determine whether it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The conciliation process regarding the defects notices issued by my Department commenced in early December and has now come to a conclusion. The parties have not reached agreement during the Conciliation and it now falls to the Conciliator to issue a Determination Report outlining the process, the issues considered and his recommendations on the matters referred to conciliation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Irish Sign Language Act 2017 provides inter alia that the Minister will establish a scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) classes for the family of deaf children and education and support for children whose primary language is ISL attending recognised schools; and training for teachers of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Many pupils who are Deaf or hard of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the Office of Public Works (OPW). I can confirm that the Tender Report has recently been received in my Department and is currently being reviewed. A decision in respect of the matter will be notified to the OPW once this review has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: A member of my staff from the Payroll Division has been in contact with the individual concerned, clarification has been provided and the issue is resolved.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Education Support Centres are separate legal entities recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by local voluntary Management Committees which are elected annually. The Management Committee are responsible for the employment and payment of Education Support Centre staff. Education Support Centres receive annual grant funding from my Department. The level of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: A detailed analysis of school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016, using the HP Deprivation Index, has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group. This group contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. My Department has commenced a consultation process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: At this time, the Department is engaging with education partners to ensure that any challenges with regard to filling substitutable vacancies are highlighted. If further measures are required my Department will of course engage with the relevant stakeholders to explore and consider other solutions. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: DEIS was first introduced in 2006 and the identification of schools for inclusion was based on two different processes at primary and post primary. At primary level, there was a survey of school principals which relied largely on subjective assessment using socio-economic variables. At post primary level a combination of data from the Departments pupil database including school level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: On 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 examinations will proceed and students will also have the alternative option of applying for grades accredited by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), to be known as SEC-Accredited Grades. This decision followed intensive engagement with education stakeholders bilaterally and through the Advisory Group on Planning for State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (5 May 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. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (5 May 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: Schools Building Projects (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy terminated the Contract for the construction of the school when the Contractor went into liquidation. The Board of Management and their Design Team are currently liaising with the Bondsman for the original Contractor with a view to finalising the scope of outstanding works on the project. The appointment of a contractor to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: Tá forbairt scileanna teanga labhartha na scoláirí chun tosaigh sna sonraíochtaí nua don Ghaeilge mar chuid den Chreat don tSraith Shóisearach. Bhí an scrúdú béil a bhí sa Teastas Sóisearach roimhe seo roghnach agus ghlac thart ar 40% de na scoláirí é, agus ba iad na múinteoirí i gcoitinne a rinne...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Schooling (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The Irish constitution acknowledges the role of a parent/guardian as the primary educator of the child and has enshrined in law that a parent/guardian may home educate a child or may choose to send their child to a non-recognised school (i.e. a school which is not recognised by the Minister in accordance with section 10 of the Education Act 1998). In line with the provisions of Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: I can advise the Deputy that under the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development 2014 – 2020, significant work has been done integrating sustainable development across the curriculum, into the assessment and inspection process and into Initial Teacher Education and Teacher Continuing Professional Development. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Costs (5 May 2021)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the Deputy is not all readily available and 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 Patronage (29 Apr 2021)

Norma Foley: The Schools Recon?guration for Diversity process is aimed at supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families. This process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.  The “Early Movers” provision of the Schools...