Results 16,121-16,140 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Holidays (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays. My Department has provided a suite of guidance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Feb 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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to providing permanent accommodation to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. In this regard, officials in my Department are in active engagement with officials from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to further appraise two potential site options in terms of technical suitability. Once the final preferred site option has been identified,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware from the previous Parliamentary Questions on this topic, the Programme for Government commits to expanding and prioritising the transfer of viable schools to Community National Schools, along with achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice and to working with communities to ensure the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Feb 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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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 eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: On Wednesday 17 February I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 written examinations will proceed in accordance with the normal timetable, subject to public health advice, and that oral and practical examinations and coursework would run as close to normal as possible. I also announced that students will also have the alternative option of applying for grades accredited by the State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The Government has always been guided by public health advice in relation to the safe operation of schools. The decision to delay the reopening of schools was in recognition of the need to reduce societal activity and movement to curb the spread of the virus at a time where there was unprecedented levels of disease transmission in the community. This was not based on a changed assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: During the current period of school closure, schools are required to put in place their plan of action to enable continuity of learning for all pupils. This involves all teachers who are medically fit to work, including SETs, providing remote teaching and learning to all pupils in their class or on their caseload. It is crucially important that the learning of all pupils/students,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that the Department of Education and South Dublin County Council have reached agreement in principle on the transfer of a site within the SDZ to which you refer. We presently await confirmation of necessary internal approvals from SDCC to dispose of the site after which we would expect legal conveyancing to commence. It would be our intention to advance the architectural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I understand that the Operation Encompass Programme involves the police sharing information with a child’s school where there has been a domestic incident at the child’s home the previous day. A member of staff in the school could then ensure that the child was given the appropriate support during the school day. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme. The tender process to establish a new Design & Build Contractors Framework commenced on the 4th December 2019. The second stage of the tender process which involves the detailed tender for several schools has commenced and is expected to be concluded in Quarter 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The Parental Leave Scheme is regulated by the Parental Leave Act 1998, as amended. The Parental Leave Scheme for teachers is contained in Chapter 5 of my Department’s Circular Letter 54/2019. An eligible teacher is entitled to up to a maximum of 26 weeks Parental Leave in respect of each child up to the age of 13 years or the age of 16 years in the case of a child with a disability...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department approved the amalgamation of the schools in question and approved significant capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for a project which has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. The school authority agreed a project brief which consists of significant additions in terms of mainstream and specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Psychological Assessments (17 Feb 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 113,100 children, including over 14,500 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 the School...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 to 407, inclusive, together. On Wednesday, 17 February, I confirmed that Leaving Certificate 2021 written examinations will proceed in accordance with the normal timetable, subject to public health advice, and that oral and practical examinations and coursework would run as close to normal as possible. I also announced that students will also have the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was established under the patronage divesting process in 2016. Under the patronage divesting process, a school can be opened where a school building became, or was due to become available as a result of an amalgamation/closure of an existing school. In some areas, including in the case of Castlebar, in responding to demand for diversity where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Gaeltachta (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: - Is í príomhaidhm an Pholasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta 2017-2022 ná an soláthar oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge a neartú i limistéir phleanála teanga Ghaeltachta. Ó cuireadh tús le feidhmiú an Pholasaí in 2017, tá maoiniú thart ar €14m breise curtha ar fáil chun gníomhartha an pholasaí a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cóiríocht Scoile (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhfuil hallaí corpoideachais ag go leor scoileanna agus tá áiteanna súgartha lasmuigh ag nach mór gach scoil. Ina theannta sin, úsáideann go leor scoileanna áiseanna áitiúla in aice láimhe, lena n-áirítear hallaí pobail, páirceanna poiblí, páirceanna imeartha...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) 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 (17 Feb 2021)

Norma Foley: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. This project will enhance the existing permanent school facilities and extend the school by 16 classrooms, a GP room and associated ancillary accommodation which will remove the need for temporary prefab...