Results 19,141-19,160 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: All higher education institutions are required to put in place appropriate student services, which can fall under a number of headings, particularly ‘Welfare and Guidance’, which includes counselling services and health promotion. In Budget 2020 funding of €2 million was provided by the Government for student mental health and wellbeing initiatives in the higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can assure that the Deputy that I am acutely aware of the essential role that education can play as a means of improving the lives of children and young people in Ireland.  I have seen how the work of teachers and schools has the capacity to transform life outcomes for children and young people for the better.  The widespread recognition of the importance of education for our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Since schools closed in March 2020, a number of pieces of research on the experience of distance learning in schools have been carried out involving the Department’s Inspectorate, the National Parents’ Councils, school management and principals’ organisations and research bodies such as the Economic Social and Research Institute (ESRI), Maynooth University and Trinity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department advised schools of its decision to cancel Standardised Testing for primary schools for the 2019/2020 school year in April of this year. The decision was taken at the time when there was uncertainty as to whether the schools would reopen again in the 2019/2020 school year. The priority of my Department at the time was to support the learning and wellbeing of all our learners...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/ September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this. Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 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 2b (Detailed Design). All statutory approvals have been secured. This project is included in the Department’s Construction Programme which is being delivered under the National Development Plan. The Design Team has recently submitted the Stage 2(b) Report to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 624 together. School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The new Programme for Government sets out that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships. This work will draw on development work being undertaken by the National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2018, the Government announced plans for the establishment of 45 new schools over the next four years (2019 to 2022), including 17 new post-primary schools . Enrolments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The information requested is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However, the information is being collated by officials in my Department and will be made available to the Deputy very shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is still considering the temporary accommodation of a school at the site to which the Deputy refers and will revert to the patron body shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is still considering all options relating to the temporary site for the school to which the Deputy refers and will revert to the patron body shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Educationincluding a programme for children with complex special educational needs. The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs. All special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their education and social interactions....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The patronage divesting process arises from the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, following which the Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population in 2012 and 2013 to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the building project for the school in question is included in my Department’s Construction Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan. The Design Team have been appointed and are currently working on Stage 1 of Architectural Planning (Site Suitability, Site Report, and Initial Sketch). When the Design Team have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 562 and 563 together. My Department has implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments which was completed in September 2012 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There are no plans at this time to further review eligibility criteria for qualification allowances.  

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Due to the need to prioritise the available capital funding for essential classroom accommodation, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not in a position to provide the funding sought by the school in question for an outdoor sporting facility.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staff (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Teachers and SNAs employed by their school to provide school based summer provision are paid a rate based on their normal salary. Home-based provision is available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year. In this situation the Department will provide grant funding towards the...