Results 16,741-16,760 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The permanent projects for the schools referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department's Design & Build Programme.  The building projects for both schools are at an advanced stage of the tender process to appoint a building Contractor. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The issue preventing the occupation of the school referred to by the Deputy has been referred to Conciliation – the standard dispute resolution mechanism under the Public Works Contract. The Conciliator has been appointed and the first meeting with both parties took place on Friday 4th December. It is hoped that the conciliation process, which has now commenced and which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Telecommunications Services (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy currently has the best available service of 20mbs DSL broadband, and was recently awarded to a provider of high speed broadband, however the installation  has been delayed due to a local issue accessing the high speed broadband infrastructure. The service provider continues to explore all options to roll out the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria required to have incremental credit awarded to primary and post-primary school teachers, including service given in the Middle-East, are set out in the Department of Education and Skills Circulars 10/2001, 29/2007 and 29/2010.  The terms and conditions set out in these circulars were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Dec 2020)

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: State Examinations (8 Dec 2020)

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: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: There is a total of 45 active cases at present.  A lead case has been identified and the substantive hearing in this case is expected to commence today,  8 December.  In addition, High Court decisions were issued in 2 further cases and these are under appeal to the Court of Appeal. The appeal hearing is due to commence on 12 January 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for change of status, from the school in question, officials are currently in communication with the school authority regarding same.  Once the application has been assessed, the school authority will be contacted directly with the decision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Places (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: 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 will arise.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The safety of students, staff and the whole school community has been of paramount importance in the approach to the safe operation of schools during Covid-19, and i am acutely aware that this has been a very challenging time for many families.  My Department has engaged extensively with the HSE public health and the approach to the return to school has been led by the education specific...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Each primary school receives a Special Education Teaching allocation.  The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the Language Support (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware I announced on Monday the 7th of December the provision of a funding investment of just over €31 million to facilitate the delivery of 275 projects under the 2021 Summer Works Scheme. A decsion has not yet been made in regards to Summer Works 2021 and schools will be notified via the Esinet Portal when this date is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Telecommunications Services (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy currently has the best available service of 20mbs DSL broadband, and was recently awarded to a provider of high speed broadband, however the installation  has been delayed due to a local issue accessing the high speed broadband infrastructure. The service provider continues to explore all options to roll out the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Telecommunications Services (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The delivery of high quality internet connectivity for all schools is a key objective of my Department. It is accepted that good connectivity is essential to ensure that schools are facilitated to progress the embedding of digital technologies in teaching and learning and for the implementation of new and revised curriculum. The policy of my Department is to offer the best...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm a potential permanent site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site.  I can assure the Deputy that the acquisition of a suitable site for the school in question is very active on the programme of site acquisitions and every effort is being made to secure the suitable site for the school as...