Results 16,981-17,000 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council inform me that the application of the person referred to by the Deputy has been successfully concluded, with registration in effect from the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 436 to 438, inclusive, and 441 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Inspections (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The Inspectorate is committed to carrying out its inspections in a fair and objective manner and in accordance with its Code of Practice(2015) and its published inspection guides. The published guides set out how the Inspectorate will conduct its inspections and specifies the inspection activities associated with the various models of inspections that the Inspectorate uses. It also specifies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (1 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 Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Supervision and Substitution Scheme (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The reopening of schools has been a very important milestone for Irish children and society. The safety and wellbeing of staff, students and the whole school community has been of paramount importance in the Government’s planning for school reopening. My Department secured very significant funding of over €375 million to ensure schools can implement the Return to Work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (1 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 (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, my Department published the Roadmap for Full Return to Schoolon July 27 2020, enabling schools to safely open, and remain open, from the end of August. The importance and significance of ensuring schools safely opened, and remain safely open, is a national priority for Government. As set out in the Roadmap, the implementation of the COVID-19 Response Plan by a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, my Department published the Roadmap for Full Return to Schoolon July 27 2020, enabling schools to safely open, and remain open, from the end of August. The importance and significance of ensuring schools safely opened, and remain safely open, is a national priority for Government. As set out in the Roadmap, the implementation of the COVID-19 Response Plan by a school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: 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 schools by 2030 to improve parental choice and to working with communities to ensure the provision of clear, non-partisan information in this regard. The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: The role of the school is to provide an appropriate education for all its pupils. A stable, secure learning environment is an essential requirement to achieve this goal. A core value of the curriculum, across all levels of schooling in Ireland, is inclusivity and diversity. The curriculum at primary and post-primary is for all learners, from all backgrounds – regardless of gender,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: Measures announced by my Department as part of Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 of the 600 guidance posts that were withdrawn in Budget 2012 were restored to schools from September 2018. As part of the COVID-19 operational supports to schools for the 2020/21 school year, approximately 120 additional posts were provided for guidance to support student wellbeing. These posts will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that there are a number of schools of varying ethos in Dublin 15, Dublin 7 and Dublin 11 which are located in relative proximity to Ashtown. A list and map of schools is available on my Department’s website, www.education.ie, under the “Find a School” function and this list is searchable by geographical area and ethos. While new schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for change of status from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. This application is under assessment and once completed, the school authority will be informed of the decision directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (1 Dec 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 to 458, inclusive, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: In the case of all new schools, it is general practice to include a Special Education Needs Base (SEN Base) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required. Typically, a two classroom SEN Base is provided in new primary schools and a two or four classroom SEN Base is provided in new post primary schools. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (26 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has an enhanced Occupational Health Service (OHS) in place to provide employers with occupational health advice in relation to employees’ fitness for work. Medmark, the current OHS provider has a process in place for school staff with health concerns about their risk of serious illness from contracting COVID-19, through workplace attendance. A detailed on-line...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school to which Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process and a preferred bidder has been identified. Subject to no issues arising during the balance of the tender process, it is anticipated that work will commence on site in Quarter 1 of 2021, with a construction period of approximately 6 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Water Services (26 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware the provision of water does not lie within the remit of my Department; however, the Emergency Works Team is prepared to consider any reasonable alternative to a water tank that the school in question may suggest.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (26 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has approved the opening of a special class, in St. Kevin's National School, for September 2021. Officials from my Department are in contact with the school authorities in relation to the necessary steps, should additional accommodation be required for this class. To date no applications have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 Nov 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...