Results 18,781-18,800 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and as such retain the right to determine their own procedures and processes, including the making of...

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

Norma Foley: On 22 July I announced a substantial package of supports in the amount of €168m for further and higher education institutions and students.  Additionally I am aware that this pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on younger workers and those in lower paid occupations with lower level of educational qualifications. Accordingly, through the Government's July Stimulus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Direct Provision System (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The organisation referred to by the Deputy has stated that it is arranging a survey as it aims to collect information about the current level of education and future educational aspirations of people in Direct Provision and in the asylum process. The survey has a particular focus on access to further and higher education. In late December 2019, the former Minister for Justice...

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

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government was published last month. It creates a vision for reform and renewal that can help Ireland recover and thrive and sets out a vision for the transformation of our country over the next five years. Our higher and further education sector will play a key role in our recovery. In this regard, it is vital that we invest in our further and higher education sectors and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The eighteen non-commercial state agencies that were under the remit of the Department of Education and Skills, prior to the Taoiseach's announcement of 27th June 2020, continue to remain under the remit of my Department pending the development of the Transfer of Functions Order. The disposition of the bodies between my Department and the Department of Further...

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

Norma Foley: My Department administers the relevant pension schemes for teachers and non-teaching staff (NTS) at primary and post-primary level. Over 1,500 retirement applications are made each year under these schemes. In 2019, 1,504 retirement applications were administered and similar numbers are anticipated for 2020. Forecasting retirements in the education sector is complex. The availability of...

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

Norma Foley: The HEAR and DARE schemes are operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. As such, my Department has no role in the application process. Applications to the HEAR and DARE schemes are submitted to the Central Applications Office (CAO) who coordinate the scheme for participating institutions.  All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 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...

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

Norma Foley: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's current building programme. My Department is currently developing the building brief for this project and will be in further contact with the patron shortly.

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

Norma Foley: I have seen at first hand the very important work done by school secretaries, and indeed by the other support staff in the running of our schools.  In recognition of this, I have put special arrangements in place for the coming school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of contracting...

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: Departmental Staff (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues Guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil are currently awaiting Government approval.  It should be noted that the appointment of individual Special Advisers is a matter for each Government Minister subject to the...

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: Mental Health Services (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The wellbeing and mental health of our school communities is a fundamental element of the Department’s overall plan to ensure a successful return to school as we continue to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is crucial that we support the wellbeing of our students and school management and staff in order to support successful re-engagement with teaching and learning.  ...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm for the Deputy that my Department this afternoon received confirmation from Gaelscoil na Guise and An Foras Patrunactha that the Gaelscoil are willing to accommodate Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School in their building for the coming school year. This follows a period of communication back and forth between the Department and an Foras and the Gaelscoil and is warmly...

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

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is 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.  All statutory approvals have been secured. The Design Team is currently working on the completion of the Stage 2(b) report which will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Please find attached requested information for Primary Schools for the years 2015-2019 inclusive. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and were collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on the DES website and can be found at the link below; . In post-primary schools pupil enrolments vary by subject and so the concept of average...

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

Norma Foley: School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.  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 2019/2020 year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Jul 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: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 20774/20 in which you asked me to provide details of payments made to a company named Sodexo Ireland. Two payments have been made to this company since 2015 by the Department Of Education, the details of which are below: Payment Date Good/Service Provided Amount Paid 09/03/2020 Catering 49.03...