Results 19,161-19,180 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566, 568 and 602 together. I understand that the pupil referred to by the Deputy who applied for a school place at Coláiste Pobail Osrai was offered a place and that the offer was declined. I wish to advise the Deputy that in relation to schools admission, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has...

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

Norma Foley: My Department has been in contact with the Deputy seeking clarification on the issue raised. On receipt of this clarification my Department will contact the Deputy again.

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

Norma Foley: My Department has secured the agreement of the owners of the temporary site to accommodate the school referred to by the Deputy. The legal arrangements associated with the lease are currently being finalised by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and the owner's legal representative and is expected to be completed shortly. My Department’s Planning and Building Unit is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, Ministers of State are appointed by the Government, on nomination of the Taoiseach. In accordance with the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977, the Government may delegate, by way of an Order, to a Minister of State any of the powers and duties of the relevant Minister of the Government under any particular Act or any particular statutory power...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy will be aware, arrangements for the establishment of my Department are currently being progressed, including in respect of the transfer of statutory and administrative functions, and delegation of responsibilities will be considered in that overall context in due course.  

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 Education including 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. The...

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

Norma Foley: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has recently sanctioned additional capital funding, to the school referred to, for the provision of an additional special class.  This funding will allow the school to deliver a 2-class Special Educational Needs Base.  The school authority has been informed of this decision. 

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

Norma Foley: There has been a lot of engagement between my Department and stakeholders in relation to re-opening in September and this engagement is on-going. My Department’s number one priority, and the wider school sector is to reopen our schools as fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year.  The Department and stakeholders are collectively focused on...

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

Norma Foley: 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 the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children,...

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

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned for delivery under my Department's Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning and construction. The project is currently in the Architectural Planning phase with site surveys completed.  A...

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

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned for delivery under my Department's Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning and construction. The project is currently in early Architectural Planning.  The next milestone in the progression of...

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

Norma Foley: Planning permission for the school building project referred to by the Deputy was granted by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on the 13th June 2019 subject to 18 no. conditions.  Two of these conditions relating to the provision of a public greenway were subsequently the subject of a first party appeal by my Department to An Bord Pleanála.  The decision of An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Higher Education Erasmus Programme Moblilites: There were a total of 18,258  students (see following tables) from Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on Erasmus mobility between 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years to  KA103 Programme Countries and KA107 Partner Countries.  Of this figure, 3936 students from Irish HEIs went on an Erasmus mobility in 2019/20, an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Higher Education Institutions Erasmus Mobilities: There were a total of 39,837 international students (see following table) to Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on Erasmus mobility between 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years from KA103 Programme Countries and KA107 Partner Countries. Of this figure 7456 international Erasmus students carried out mobility in Ireland in 2019/20,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Kerry ETB made a decision to deliver the Youthreach programme directly from 1 January 2019 and this transition has now taken place. While the Department had a role in relation to issues such as ETB staffing and pension implications and lease arrangements, it is a matter for Kerry ETB to engage on any cost liability to KDYS arising out of the process. As a public body, Kerry ETB...

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

Norma Foley: There are no plans to close the schools referred to by the Deputy.  In September 2018, the NCSE was requested to develop policy advice on the educational provision that should be in place for students educated in special schools and classes and to make recommendations on the provision required to enable them achieve better outcomes. It was agreed that the report would be...

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

Norma Foley: The national co-ordination group for tertiary education is meeting on a regular basis to consider key issues impacting the tertiary sector, including arrangements for re-opening institutions. These arrangements will be dependent on public health advice, and will be communicated to learners as soon as possible. Student accommodation license terms including cost, duration, refund...

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

Norma Foley: For small works using the Short Form of Contract, PWCF6, (under €1m) the average annual turnover over the previous three years must be not less than 1.5 times the sum tendered for the project.  These projects would be tendered under an Open Procedure where the contractor can decide in advance whether they can meet the minimum standards specified in the Declaration of Suitability...

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...