Results 17,281-17,300 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Further Revised) (12 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: It should be noted that there has been a 2.5% increase in capitation. While not wanting to be repetitive, it must be acknowledged that substantial additional funding has gone into schools this year in terms of things that would normally gone on in schools such as cleaning and so forth but also additional items such as hand sanitiser and so on. Significant resources have been provided and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Indemnity Agreement of June 2002 involved 18 congregations, acting collectively, which agreed to provide a contribution of €128m towards the costs associated with redress for survivors of institutional abuse. Those 18 congregations are - Brothers of Charity - Christian Brothers - Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul - Daughters of the Heart of Mary - De La Salle Brothers -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020. The Circular outlines that special leave with pay may be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that Level 5 restrictions do not apply to the Education sector and on this basis any prior commitment or agreement between a school authority and a third party should remain in place.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no record of receiving a proposal from the school in question. However, the issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools on public roads, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter, for the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The major building project to which the Deputy refers is included in my Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The 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. Following the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 to 125, inclusive, together. A revised specification for Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science was introduced in September 2019. The revised specification was approved as a draft by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in September 2017 before being submitted to my Department for approval. The curriculum development process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department undertakes demographic exercises to identify areas where pressures for school places are anticipated to arise and divides the country into 314 school planning areas for that purpose. The school to which she refers was established to meet emerging demand in the Pelletstown area, largely associated with new residential development and these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Human Rights (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As you are aware, the ex gratia scheme was established on foot of the specific circumstances arising from and in response to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) relating to Louise O'Keeffe. The Department undertook a review of the scheme in response to a determination by the Independent Assessor, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that one of the criteria for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On 3 October I announced that I had asked that a comprehensive independent review of the design and implementation of the Calculated Grades process should take place when the process is complete. I want the independent comprehensive review to consider key aspects of the Calculated Grades process. This will include: the initial decision to adopt the calculated grades model; whether the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As outlined in the previous response in relation to school enrolment, it is a matter for the parents to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupils should be admitted. It is the responsibility of the school authorities to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Acts, 1998 -2018. The measures provided for in the Act do make...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The renting/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. The information requested by the Deputy concerning the cost of rental of office space from the company in question in regard to my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the specific matters that have impacted the handover of the building, my Department is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. My Department is engaging with the contractor in this regard under the appropriate terms of the public works contract. Some communication was received from the contractor on 30...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the specific matters that have impacted the handover of the building, my Department is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. My Department is engaging with the contractor in this regard under the appropriate terms of the public works contract. Some communication was received from the contractor on 30...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers opened in 2019 in interim accommodation in a premises on Kill Lane, Deansgrange, County Dublin. As the accommodation at the current location is at full capacity the school will need to move to alternative interim accommodation for September 2021 and work is ongoing in that regard. In relation to the permanent school site, a number of site options...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Supervision and Substitution Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Post primary management bodies and schools have, in recent years, reported difficulties in recruiting teachers of particular subjects (e.g. STEM, modern foreign languages, Irish, Home Economics) as well as substitute teachers. The Steering Group on Teacher Supply was established in my Department in 2018. The Steering Group is leading on the identification of issues, the development of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September, 2019. The staffing schedule operates in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 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 Accommodation (11 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which he refers opened in September 2020. The patron of the school has made arrangements to accommodate the school on the grounds of the existing post primary schools in this particular area. This will be the permanent location for the school.