Results 17,241-17,260 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Yes, a 50% rate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the minor works and all of that, the Senator specifically referenced health and safety. In any instance where there was a case regarding health and safely in a Covid-19 environment and there was an inability to provide for that, that was absolutely provided for by the Department. Unquestionably.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I appreciate the case the Deputy is making but we have to be very clear here and say that there was no instance, absolutely none, where money was required to meet a health and safety issue in a fee-charging school that was not met by the Department. I am absolutely 100% adamant in saying that. I do not for a minute take away from what the Senator might reference about how people were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I will begin with the Deputy's last question. Students who have been designated as very high-risk are availing of an adapted education experience. That is really where they have worked in conjunction with the schools and where there is a designated person within the schools to provide for the needs of that student. That is as it should be and it is working quite well. In terms of students...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, wishes to speak first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I will add to that. Again, the issue of students who have not engaged with schools was referenced earlier. We are told that 99% of our students have actually engaged with and returned to school so that is positive. To add to what the Minister of State said, a welfare approach has very much been taken as regards students coming back to school and encouraging them. Again, I acknowledge the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I do appreciate the points made in terms of larger schools. There was an acknowledgement of that, especially in the Covid-19 measures. Additional days would be made available to teaching principals and additional resources were being put in place as much as possible. Certainly, this is an area I would look at. The same applies equally in terms of students coming from overseas and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I acknowledge the excellent work that goes on. It is an area I am familiar with. The Chairman has made the point about the 25% criterion. Excellent resources are in place but I appreciate the point the Chairman is making about a particular percentage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I am not aware of any specific review as the Senator has spoken to in her question. I made the point earlier that obviously there are students who are very pleased with what they have received and those who are less pleased. As part of the calculated grades programme there was a commitment that there will be a review of the full process and I am very committed to that and it will take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I will take the last question first. On the issue of the 120 guidance counsellors, in many instances it involved an increase in the number of hours that were available. In some schools there would have been a presence of a guidance counsellor, but with reduced hours and perhaps teaching in another capacity. That is how these posts have been divided up in some instances. For example, in a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the issue of the legal cases and the associated costs, I will revert to my official who is handling that. In relation to 2021, the accommodation for students is around the question format that is on the paper, where there is a wider choice being given. All of that has been disseminated to the schools and students would be aware that where there might have been a limited option, a greater...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I am very keen that the school transport review would take place as soon as possible. We are currently scoping out the terms of reference. We will proceed with that as expeditiously as possible. We are seeking to roll out the 50% programme also, but we will be moving apace with that. There are 887 schools currently in the DEIS programme, which caters for approximately 20% of the school...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Priorities and the Effects of Covid-19 on the Education System: Department of Education (17 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I very much appreciate the point the Chairman makes. He is right that there has been an element of exception there because of Covid. Notwithstanding that, our determination to progress school building with bricks and mortar is underpinned by the fact that in 2021 we are looking at the completion of more than 200 projects, and 145 beginning in the mid-year stream as well. These will all be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice. The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process supporting transfers of schools to multi- denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families is based around principles of transparency and cooperation. The process has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design. The Stage 2(b) submission has been reviewed by my Department and comments issued to the school and its Design Team in July 2020. The Design Team have been requested to carry out a final review of all of its tender documentation to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 249 and 253 together. 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. Schools have autonomy in choosing the resources and programmes that best support the work within their own classrooms. The Yellow Flag programme aims to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school to which the deputy refers was approved funding under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2020 to purchase a 2-storey prefabricated temporary building to provide for five general classrooms for 2020/21 with a scope to provide further classrooms and specialist rooms for 2021/22, which are to be accommodated on Kishogue Community School. This project has been devolved for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The renting and leasing of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments. The number, terms and cost of the leases is a matter for the OPW.