Results 16,441-16,460 of 19,660 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 Jan 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 more than 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: In accordance with Department Circular 0031/2011 teachers must be qualified and registered to teach in the sector to be eligible for the qualified rate of pay. Ms Kirby is registered under Route 3 with the Teaching Council which allows Ms Kirby to work in a further education setting. If Ms Kirby teaches in a mainstream post primary school she will receive the unqualified rate of pay and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the patronage divesting process arises from the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, following which the Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population in 2012 and 2013 to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Jan 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 more than 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: It remains Governments' intention to operate the conventional 2021 Leaving Certificate examinations, with appropriate public health measures in place. This view is shared by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations Planning for these examinations is under way by the SEC and the Department. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: I am supportive of proposals for memorialisation and agree that the legacy of abuse that has been uncovered by Commissions of Investigation should never be forgotten. The Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate subject specifications for History provide flexibility and opportunities for the findings of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission report and other reports on institutional abuse to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: Schools have put significant measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school and significant funding has been provided to support schools in this respect. The evidence to date from a public health perspective is that schools are safe. The approach to Covid-19 in schools is led by the advice and guidance of the HSE Public Health. The HSE Health...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: During March 2020, the Education Shared Business Services (ESBS) section of my Department implemented a payroll system utilising a managed payroll service to pay in the region of 4,500 apprentices undertaking off-the-job training in all sixteen ETBs. This payroll was established to fulfil a Revenue requirement to tax apprentices before end Q1 2020. An Operations Team has been set up in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently considering how the need for additional provision in the area referred to by the Deputy can be met. A decision in this regard will be made in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: It remains Governments' intention to operate the conventional 2021 Leaving Certificate examinations, with appropriate public health measures in place. This view is shared by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. Planning for these examinations is under way by the SEC and the Department....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers opened in September of 2020. The contract for the major building project at this school includes works in relation to the clearing and seeding of a green area to the east of the school building. These works will be undertaken in spring 2021 if circumstances, including the weather, permit. However, no provision has been made for the inclusion of a pitch...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: The public health restrictions which resulted in the closure of schools in March 2020 highlighted the absolute necessity for schools to be agile in providing for continuity of schooling in the future. A s a contingency measure against the possibility of partial or full school closures, my Department has already provided a suite of guidance materials, agreed with the education partners, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). I can confirm that a design team to deliver this project has been appointed by the ETB. My Department understands from KWETB that the design team is preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design) and it is nearing completion. While at this early stage it...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Home Tuition Scheme (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. The terms of this scheme are set out in circular 44/2020 which is available on my Department’s website at Payments to group providers of home tuition, such as the facility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together. Since last March, my Department has put in place a number of measures to support vulnerable learners and those at risk of educational disadvantage during possible partial or full school closures due to Covid-19. As a contingency measure for the possibility of partial or full school closures, my Department provided to schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: On 3 October 2020 I announced that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process should take place. I want this review to consider key aspects of the Calculated Grades process, including the initial decision to adopt the model, whether the process met its objectives, how effective the process was, how the process worked...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects can be tendered. Once this framework is established, which is anticipated to be Quarter one 2021, it is intended that this project will be tendered as soon as possible thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: My Department is currently in the process of establishing a Framework of Design and Build Contractors to which Design and Build projects can be tendered. Once this framework is established, which is anticipated to be Quarter One 2021, it is intended that this project will be tendered as soon as possible thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Jan 2021)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 220 together. It is acknowledged that this is a challenging time for school communities who have worked incredibly hard to operate safely under Covid-19. The Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to what is safe in schools. NPHET meet regularly and has considered the latest evidence and remain of the view that...