Results 18,921-18,940 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold details of schools with kitchen/canteen facilities or those without such facilities. My Department has in place detailed design guidelines for primary and post-primary schools. These guidelines, which are available on my Department's web-site, currently provide for a standard range of servery and eating facilities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In the 2019/20 school year there were 3,106 mainstream primary schools of which 690 were participating in the DEIS Programme. Each 1 point adjustment to the overall primary staffing schedule is estimated to cost in the region of €4.7m in the first year and €14.4m for the full year. As the Deputy is aware, currently only Urban Band 1 schools have a reduced pupil teacher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Over the 2019/20 school year my Department spent in the region of €125 million across 890 schools participating in the DEIS programme, serving in excess of 185,000 children. The full list of supports available to DEIS schools is available on my Department's website at the following link   Further expenditure is incurred on the School Meals Programme by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: DEIS Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the average salary cost for one Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator position based on mid point of the salary scale is circa €55,500. Currently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the HSCL Scheme. The scheme is delivered by 415 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The annual staffing schedule determines the allocation of teachers to schools.  For the current school year, it operates on a general average of 26 pupils to every 1 teacher (26:1) which is historically the lowest ever allocation ratio at primary level.  Budget 2020 has provided for a budget of more than €11 billion for the Department of Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102 Primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools. Additional funding of €1million provided under Budget 2020 was allocated to 102...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Yesterday, the 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 has been developed in line with public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The 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 retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures in this area.  In relation to fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science recently secured Cabinet approval for a substantial package of supports for third level institutions and students. The distribution of the funds and the principles and eligibility criteria governing the additional supports for students including in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 516, 517 and 520 together. On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of - A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education; - A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student.  It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means.  Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates.  The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On 22 July I published a three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2020/2021 which consisted of - A high level Further and Higher Education Roadmap, which provides an overview of the phased return across further and higher education; - A Covid-19 Adaptation framework which provides a structure, guidance and support for further and higher education institutions and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (28 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: State Examinations (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department’s response to support the wellbeing of all within school communities is aligned with HSE guidance.  The HSE advises that, in responding to psycho-social needs in the aftermath of an emergency, a graduated four-level model of care is required.  This is based on the knowledge that, people are naturally resilient and most will adapt with the provision of basic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).   For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) supports participation by students with a disability in full-time programmes of further and higher education. The FSD is one of the main funding sources supporting participation by students with disabilities in approved further and higher education courses in Ireland. It also supports students from Ireland to study on approved courses in Northern...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In April 2020, the main research funders issued a joint statement providing guidance for researchers in relation to their funded awards and research during the Covid-19 crisis. In relation to the organisation in question, it has provided practical guidance on 3 mechanisms that awardees can avail of to extend the duration of their awards: No-Cost Extensions, Budget Reallocations, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Irish Research Council (IRC) and the Health Research Boardvcollaboratedvto fund a Covid-19 Rapid Response Call earlier this year. This call included 3 separate strands, targeting medical countermeasures, health service readiness and social and policy countermeasures to Covid-19. Following international peer review, 21 projects were selected for funding with a total investment of...