Results 18,361-18,380 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Supervision and Substitution Scheme (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Specific arrangements were implemented with regard to the payment of substitute teachers at the commencement of the lockdown period for primary and second level schools. These arrangements provided that substitute teachers who were contracted by the managerial authorities of the schools in which they were employed were paid for the duration of the contracts. Qualified substitute...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question has been approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme and it is now up to the school authority to progress the works.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 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 (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of my Department, the Educational Research Centre, and international external expertise. The standardisation model for Leaving Certificate 2020 is a statistical procedure and has been subject to a high degree of human...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (10 Sep 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...

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

Norma Foley: My Department provides ancillary grant assistance to over 480 primary schools in the Free Education Scheme in Dublin towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services.  Within the grant programme, the level and extent of services provided is a matter for the school authorities who, through the discretion afforded by the scheme, apply their own arrangements for secretarial and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of school caretakers and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of caretaking services required for the school.  Funding to cater for these services is made available by my Department through the Ancillary Services and Capitation Grants. Within the grant programme, the level and extent of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Physical activity (PE) is important and students should be encouraged to participate in PE in schools.  As part of the return to school plans the Department has published guidance for practical subjects in Post Primary Schools, including guidance for PE.  This guidance is based on Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidance for the return to sports activities for children...

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

Norma Foley: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. As part of that responsibility, applications for the exceptional review process for SNA support are made directly to the NCSE.  I will forward the Deputy’s question to the NCSE for their direct reply. It is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of primary and post-primary school that have access to hot water in the counties in question is not readily available within my Department. Health guidance states that, while warm running water is preferable for handwashing, cold water is sufficient.  In schools which do not have warm running...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (10 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The matter raised by the Deputy is a matter appropriate to my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The matter raised by the Deputy is a matter appropriate to my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: Regarding Coronavirus (Covid 19) the position is that arrangements for teachers are set out in Circular 0049/2020, which is published on my Department’s website at link: Circular 0049/2020 In this regard my Department has put in place an enhanced occupational healthcare service to assist education staff who have concerns about their risk of returning to the workplace. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: 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. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy is aware, the delivery of this project is devolved to the school authority. My Department received a preliminary design report from Culmore National school in early 2020 for review. An issue with an aspect of the design of the building was identified and a review carried out by officials in that respect. The design was ultimately approved following this review and the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department has received a tender report with respect to the project to which he refers. This report is currently under review by officials and the outcome of that review will be notified to the school shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (9 Sep 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Sep 2020)

Norma Foley: The Covid-19 Response Plan for the safe and sustainable reopening of Post-Primary Schools was published 27thJuly 2020. In addition Circular 0046/2020 outlines the Covid-19 operational supports that are being made available to assist with re-opening schools. These supports are made available to all post-primary schools in the free education sector and through an application process for...