Results 19,241-19,260 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

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

Norma Foley: My Department is in regular communication with the school’s patron body, Educate Together, on this and other accommodation matters and the patron body keeps its school communities updated on an ongoing basis in relation to such matters.  The school were offered an opportunity to view the Citywest accommodation in December last.

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

Norma Foley: My Department is in regular communication with the School’s patron body Educate Together to discuss accommodation and all other relevant matters in relation to their school communities. The accommodation available to the school in CItywest consist of 10 full size classrooms, resource rooms, offices and specialist rooms. The accommodation is more than adequate to provide for the...

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 and the Return to Work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (14 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: Home School Community Liaison Scheme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Based on an average cost of one Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator position of circa €55,500, an additional 10 HSCL Coordinators would be in the order of € 555,000. The HSCL Scheme is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of all pupils/families at risk of educational disadvantage through acknowledging and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Garda Vetting (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons. The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs,...

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

Norma Foley: The current entry level qualification for Special Needs Assistants is set out in my Department's circular 0051/2019 which requires a FETAC level 3 major qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications, OR a minimum of three grade Ds in the Junior Certificate, OR the Equivalent. This remains unchanged.  The Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant...

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

Norma Foley: My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirement to provide funding to support enhanced cleaning needs and we will provide further details of the support available once the arrangements are finalised. Arrangements have also been made made for a drawdown framework to be established to enable schools purchase hand-sanitisers for use in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: A system of Calculated Grades was put in place by my predecessor due to the inability to run the normal Leaving Certificate examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students. For the calculated grades...

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

Norma Foley: The number one priority for my Department and the wider schools sector is to re-open our schools as fully, normally and safely as possible at the start of the new school year. The interests of students and their families, as well as the safety of the staff in our schools, are at the centre of all considerations as we work through the various challenges associated with that aim. The re-opening...

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. 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 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to inform the Deputy that the project to which she refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The NDFA is currently undertaking the second phase of the process of appointment of multi-disciplinary technical advisors (design teams) for these projects. Thereafter, it will ensure...

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

Norma Foley: The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all...

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

Norma Foley: Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical and curricular arrangements, wellbeing and the issues raised by the Deputy.  My Department recognises that additional funding will be required for schools to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department...

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

Norma Foley: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of  student and graduate data from all HEA-funded higher education institutions. The latest available HEA data relates to enrolments in the 2018/2019 academic year. Data in relation to enrolments in the 2019/2020 academic year are currently being returned by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the school to which he refers has been approved for funding, under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme, for the works in question. The current position is that a tender report in respect of these works was received but further information in relation to the cost of same had to be obtained from the school authorities in order to make...

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

Norma Foley: Since the onset of Covid-19 in March, my Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have collaborated with key stakeholders from the Higher Education sector, including the Irish Universities Association, (IUA) and the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA)  to identify, quantify and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts...

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

Norma Foley: The specific information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of primary and post-primary school that have access to hot water is not readily available within my Department. The Covid 19 Interim Recommendations for the reopening of schools and educational facilities public health guidance states that while warm running water is preferable for handwashing, that cold water...

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

Norma Foley: I wish to confirm to the Deputy that an application has been received, by my Department, in relation to the school concerned. The application is currently under assessment and once complete, the school authorities will be notified directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Inquiries (14 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that there are no tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigation in process in my Department.