Results 17,321-17,340 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The new building for the school referred to by the Deputy is progressing satisfactorily and subject to no issues arising is due to be ready for occupation early in Quarter 2 of 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: As the deputy will be aware, the project to which she refers has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (ETB). I am pleased to confirm that construction of this school extension is nearing completion, which is anticipated in the first quarter of 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: On the specific matters that have impacted the handover of the building, the Department is taking the appropriate steps to ensure it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. The 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 (10 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 (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design & Build programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction. There is also a full-time Clerk of Works present on site and represents the interests of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (10 Nov 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 (GIS). The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Department's own school enrolment databases, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the Deputy that the funding of Life Safety Systems, under which category this falls, was announced under my Department's Summer Works Scheme last year. If a particular school did not apply for funding of Life Safety Systems under that round of the Summer Works Scheme, an application should now be made under the Emergency Works Scheme, which is the proper mechanism for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I would like to inform the deputy that the correct mechanism for uprgrading heating systems falls within the scope of my Department's Summer Works Scheme; schools are free to apply for funding under this scheme when it next opens for applications. If the heating system in a particular school completely fails, the school may apply for funding through the Emergency Works Scheme; details of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Occupational Injuries Benefit (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The provision of an occupational injury scheme for teachers is the subject of a claim, being brought to the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). Discussions are taking place under the auspices of the TCC, to which the Department, management representatives and unions are all party. As the proceedings of the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 480 and 483 together. Under Budget 2021 I have announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. While there has been a reduction in mainstream class size in recent years, there has not been a corresponding reduction for those Urban Band 1 DEIS schools who are already allocated a preferential staffing schedule of 20:1 for schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The schools to which the Deputy refers are Education and Training Board (ETB) schools. The Department provides a staffing allocation to each ETB and the distribution of this staffing allocation including Small School posts is a matter for the Chief Executive of the ETB schemes in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. My Department will spend in the region of €125 million in 2020 on the DEIS Programme. Under Budget 2021 I have announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. Each 1 point adjustment to the primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that under Budget 2021 I have announced a general reduction in the mainstream staffing schedule to 25:1. While there has been a reduction in mainstream class size in recent years, there has not been a corresponding reduction for those Urban Band 1 DEIS schools who are already allocated a preferential staffing schedule of 20:1 for schools catering for junior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Nov 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. Planning for school reopening was undertaken in close consultation and discussion with key education partners. Since schools reopened,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The information requested by the deputy on roles filled by my department in the past five years is below. There has been a significant amount of staffing change in the last number of years and the majority of the roles filled below are backfill of vacancies which arose where staff left on retirements, promotions or transfers. With regard to the cost to the Exchequer, my department has...

Education (Admission to Schools) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: In Deputy Ó Ríordáin's absence, I absolutely accept his bona fides in introducing this Bill and his good intentions. In the interest of fairness, my motivation in moving this amendment is equally well intentioned. I have listened to the Deputies with interest. I must point out and, indeed, take exception to remarks that have been made about not alone my party but also the...

Education (Admission to Schools) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2020 be deemed to be read a second time this day 12 months to allow for a review of the impact of the provision of section 62(10)(b) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 to be undertaken and for that then to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 154 and 155 together. The Education Sector Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement agreement July 2020 provided for the supply of the following PPE products, from 14 suppliers, for use in schools and other education settings: Wipes; Hand Soaps; Facemasks; Gloves; Hand Sanitiser; Protective Clothing; and Safety Glasses. As part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school the Deputy refers to is a private educational institution located abroad. The Irish Leaving Certificate examination is offered each year to candidates in the school. The role of the State Examinations Commission (SEC) is to provide examinations to candidates who have been entered for either the Junior or Leaving Certificate. Teachers working at this school are directly...