Results 17,361-17,380 of 19,632 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: 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 classes only and 24:1 for schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Tests (5 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’ It is important to note that the response to confirmed cases or outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community or in a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank both Deputies for their observations. I reiterate my Department's commitment to the delivery of these projects. That commitment has been ongoing in trying to resolve outstanding issues. Both Deputies will appreciate the strong determination on the part of the Department to ensure the duty of care that we hold is fulfilled. I imagine both Deputies would expect that would be the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it allows me the opportunity to update the House on the current position in respect of the provision of accommodation for Greystones Community College in the first instance and also for Greystones Community National School. It was the intention to open the community college in the newly constructed community national school building in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 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 the two parties referred to should remain in place.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has no role in providing guidance of a clinical or medical nature. However the HPSC have recently published the following definition of a close contact in an educational setting which was communicated to all schools this week. In accordance with current HPSC close contacts guidelines a clinical Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) will be undertaken for all educational...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Teacher Training (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with my Department's Primary Circular 44/2019 which is available on the Department’s website under www.education.ie, schools...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Examinations (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. In the absence of these examinations, every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible. The process of national standardisation, which forms a key...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE have published guidance for managing potential cases of COVID-19 in educational settings, which includes the testing strategy within an educational facility ‘Schools Pathway for COVID-19, the Public Health approach’ When a positive Covid-19 cases arises that is connected to a school community, either a staff member or a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department has no role in providing guidance of a clinical or medical nature. However the HPSC have recently published the following definition of a close contact in an educational setting which was communicated to all schools this week. In accordance with current HPSC close contacts guidelines a clinical Public Health Risk Assessment (PHRA) will be undertaken for all educational settings...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: School Transport (4 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: School Transport (4 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Examinations (4 Nov 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: School Transport (4 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 77, 78 and 81 together. The tender package for the project at the school referred to by the Deputy included a requirement for the provision of temporary accommodation for the duration of the construction period. In that regard, all the contractors who tendered for the contract tendered for the provision of temporary accommodation. The successful...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: School Transport (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2019/2020 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 over...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: School Patronage (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The school in question opened in September 2014 under the Patronage Divesting Process. The divesting of the school was facilitated by transfer from the Church of Ireland. The Church of Ireland Trustees, who own the property, and the new school Patron engaged directly with each other in relation to the leasing arrangements for the property. A draft lease was drawn up but was not finalised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Examinations (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The results of appeals under the 2020 Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades appeals process were made available to students at 12pm on Friday 16 October through the Calculated Grades Student Portal. In the processing of the appeals, a total of 33,301 individual subject records belonging to 12,216 students were reviewed. This number excluded students who initially entered for an appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Schools Health and Safety (4 Nov 2020)

Norma Foley: The building referred to by Deputy has not yet been handed over. My Department is taking appropriate steps to ensure that it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. There is currently an engagement underway between my Department and the Contractor in this regard under the contract. Communications are ongoing and the issue is being actively...