Results 18,761-18,780 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Jul 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, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A capital project for the provision of a permanent school building for the school referred to by the Deputy, to cater for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1,000 pupils, is being addressed through the Department’s School Building Programme. In this regard, a project manager was appointed to develop a master plan layout for a site in the ownership of Kildare and Wicklow Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 672 and 744 together. I can inform the Deputies that the particular project to which they refer has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The Covid-19 situation has impacted on the timeline for delivery of this project to the extent that the project will not now be fully completed by September 2020. In that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm for the Deputy that agreement in principle has been reached with a landowner for the acquisition of a site at Donaghcumper, Celbridge. This site is presently proposed to facilitate the permanent accommodation needs of St. Patrick's National School, Celbridge Community School and St. Raphael's Special School on a campus type arrangement. Work is progressing and is ongoing in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Board of Management of Mercy Convent School has been through the formal dispute resolution process resulting in April of this year of the termination of the obligation of the Main Contractor to complete the construction of the new school building. The Board of Management and its Design Team have carried out a full assessment of the partially constructed building and are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I understand the Deputy is referring to applicants to the Primary Initial Teacher Education PME programme and also that the exam being referred to is undertaken by some applicants who do not have the relevant Leaving Certificate grade to meet the Minimum Entry Requirements in Irish for entry to those Primary PME programmes.  The relevant Leaving Certificate Grade is a H5 in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the Language Support (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous years.   Further temporary Language Support is also provided, as necessary, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The person referred to by the Deputy is currently employed in a job-sharing capacity in a primary school for the 2019/20 school year. The terms of the job sharing scheme for special need assistants are outlined in Circular 0041/2014.  In accordance with the terms of the Circular the minimum period for which a job-sharing arrangement may occur is one school year i.e. commencing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.  For the 20/21 academic year student grant applications will be assessed based on gross income from all sources for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. However, if a student or party to their application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The substantial funding package of €168m which was announced on 22 July, is to mitigate against the impact of Covid19 on publically funded further and higher education providers under the remit of DFHERIS.  This package of funding was developed following detailed engagement and assessment with the sector.  Funding in the amount of €10m is being provided for student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The capitation grant has increased in each of the last two budgets. I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary schools that will apply from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: To date Government has allocated €31 million in Exchequer co-funding to TU development consortia to assist them to advance their proposals for TU designation. The Munster Technological University (MTU) consortium of Cork IT and IT Tralee has received €6.3 million   of this funding. The latest tranche of Exchequer funding administered by the Higher Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In response to the COVID 19 emergency, the Further Education and Training (FET) sector has demonstrated a swift and appropriate response.  In their short-term contingency planning, providers have made provision for the current cohort of learners engaged in their programmes and who are nearing completion of their awards, with adjusted teaching strategies and alternative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 687 and 688 together. On Monday, 27thJuly, my Department published the report to Government “Reopening Our Schools, The Roadmap for the Full Return to School”. This Roadmap set outs how schools will reopen for all students from the end of August and what the operation of our schools will look like and be sustainable in a COVID-19 context. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can inform the Deputy that my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Insurance Coverage (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Responsibility for procurement of insurance and payment of same rests with Boards of Management and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in respect of schools operated by them.  If a particular school has a query in relation to insurance it should raise this directly with its insurance provider. Boards of Management and ETBs should take a proactive approach when it comes to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €36,953 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692. Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: An administratively based Pilot Support Scheme is currently in operation in my Department which provides supports along similar lines to the SUSI grant scheme and is available to persons in the asylum, subsidiary protection or leave to remain process. To qualify for the pilot scheme, prospective students have to meet a number of criteria, including a requirement to: Meet the definition of a...