Results 16,661-16,680 of 19,660 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Communications (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Due to the restrictions on travel arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, it has not been possible for me to travel to attend EU Council meetings, as would normally be the case. However, I can confirm to the Deputy that I had a videoconference with my colleague, the Swedish Minister for Education, Anna Ekström, on 28th October 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers is currently in interim accommodation on an interim site pending delivery of its intended interim accommodation on its permanent site in the Dublin 13 area. Work has commenced on this interim accommodation on the permanent site and it is anticipated that this accommodation will be available for occupation by the school shortly. In addition to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. This project is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included in my Department's school building programme. It is my Department's intention to engage further with the patron regarding the proposed project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware the building project for the school in question is included in my Department's Capital Programme. Officials in my Department have been working towards the acquisition of a permanent site to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers and have engaged with officials in the relevant Local Authority in that respect. A number of potential site options...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that the current status of large-scale building projects and Additional Accommodation Projects being delivered, including projects in Dublin 15, may be viewed on my Department's website, and this information is updated regularly. My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, from the school in question. Once the application process has been completed, the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Details of enrolments in primary and post primary schools for the academic year 2019/2020, which is the most recent available data, can be found on the Department's website at the link below; Provisional data for the academic year 2020/2021 will be available in January 2021. My Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is committed to providing a permanent accommodation solution for the school referred to. In this regard, a suitable site in Castleblayney to accommodate the permanent school building has been identified. The acquisition of this site has progressed well in recent weeks and is at a very advanced stage of conveyancing. Once this acquisition process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 410 together. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic the Government has identified as an objective that all students should return to education as normal to the fullest extent possible, while minimising the risks from a public health perspective. Schools have put significant measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the school under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018. I wish to clarify for the Deputy that my Department received a stage report from the school in question to allow this project to go to Tender. This report is currently being assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Dec 2020)

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, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Dec 2020)

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, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Dec 2020)

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, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: When a covid-19 positive case connected with a school arises, public health contact the school and undertake a public health risk assessment to identify the actions required. The response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of Covid-19 in a school will be led and managed by Public Health HSE. Schools are advised to follow the recommendations of the public health specialists in these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Public health specialists have been working with school referred to by the deputy and my official’s engaged with the school principal by phone on 11 September in relation to the decision to close the school. Public health specialists working with schools and my Department are closely monitoring the situation in all schools to ensure that where schools are open with appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has every confidence that, through the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle the place of Geography will be retained and given a new impetus across the Junior Cycle curriculum. As part of the rollout of the new Framework for Junior Cycle, Geography was one of five new subject specifications that were introduced to schools in September 2018. The new Junior Cycle...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the 2019/2020 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over...