Results 16,761-16,780 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: My Department is committed to providing permanent accommodation to meet the needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. A number of potential site options have been identified and officials from my Department are currently appraising same. Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.

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: State Examinations (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: It is my firm intention to operate the conventional 2021 state examinations, with appropriate contingency built in, in line with prevailing public health advice. This is shared by the SEC, which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.  My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school...

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

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to has been approved for a project under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2015.  This project will provide for one mainstream classrooms with en-suite, a WC for assisted user and one SET room. This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.  This project was approved to go to Planning in...

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

Norma Foley: As you are aware I announced an additional €55 million in minor works grants for primary and post-primary schools to be paid in early December, 2020. The €55 million payments involves: - bringing forward from 2021 the standard €30m minor works grant at primary level - an additional €25m funding for Covid-19 related Minor Works at post-primary level; This payment...

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

Norma Foley: The current policy within the Department of Education is to not endorse any particular product, programme, or publication. The Department of Education does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any private programme delivered in schools. The requirement from my Department, is that schools follow the curriculum as set out by the National...

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

Norma Foley: Action 88 of the DEIS Plan provides for a review of current out of school education provision. This review has been carried out by a Working Group chaired by my Department and including representatives from Tusla and the Education and Training Board sector.   This review has been informed through the use of questionnaires, submissions from stakeholders and a...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department wrote to the school in June 2019 in response to its proposal to construct a new school on an alternative site in the ownership of the patron. There has been frequent telephone engagement between Department officials and school principal since then relating to the school's accommodation needs. The most recent contact was by telephone on 4th...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and which led the decision not to run the state examinations this summer. In the context of the return to schools of students for the 2020/21 academic year my Department published a range of documentation and support material as part of the Roadmap for...

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

Norma Foley: The question of enrolment in individual schools, including central application processes, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, are the responsibility of the school authorities and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. It is the responsibility of the school authorities of schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 353 together. The centre referred to by the Deputy is not a recognised school, but provides education outside of the mainstream school setting for children who have become disengaged from mainstream education. While my Department primarily supports recognised schools, my Department does provide funding for a small number of alternative...

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.  In the 2018/2019 school year over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 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: School Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: A Primary teacher who attends and completes a Summer Course approved by my Department is entitled to Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) Leave.  My Department’s Circular Letter 37/97 details the EPV Leave entitlement and Circular Letter 35/2009 details the employee’s requirement to provide a certificate of completion to the employer as evidence of EPV Leave entitlement. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The staffing schedule is an allocation mechanism that uses enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts allocated to a school. Primary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils which is at its historically lowest level.   Under the current staffing schedule, a non-DEIS Urban Band 1 school ...

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

Norma Foley: Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools must have drafted new school admission policies for publication on or after the 1stOctober this year. These new admission policies have been approved by respective Patrons following consultation with school staff and parents of children attending the school, and are now published on individual school websites....

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

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website.  The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB and the distribution of this staffing allocation is a matter for the Chief Executive of each ETB scheme. Galway Roscommon ETB receives an allocation of 16.5 posts in respect of small schools, island schools and...

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

Norma Foley: Under Article 44 of the Constitution and in accordance with Section 30 of the Education Act, 1998, parents have a right to have their children opt out of religious instruction classes if they so wish. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all...

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

Norma Foley: In the case referred to by the Deputy, the Department of Education has made initial contact with the school and are engaging further to establish the facts in this case in order to provide a report for my attention. It is important to note that decisions on school uniform polices are a matter for the school’s board of management at local level.  Schools are advised...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas including school planning area in which this school is situated. 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...

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...