Results 19,321-19,340 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department understands that foreign language colleges, as private businesses, have access to a range of supports that are available to all small and medium enterprises that have been impacted by Covid 19. Details on the range of supports provided are available from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation at the following website link In addition, the Wage Subsidy Scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 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: School Textbooks (7 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. In addition additional funding of €991,424.00 was allocated to 102 Primary DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The government has increased the capitation grant in each of the last two budgets. I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools will apply from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on last years 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019. The combined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a new Education Research and Policy Section within my Department, which will be tasked with ensuring that educational policy development in Ireland is informed by a strong evidence base, is outcomes focused, and cognisant of best international practices. The arrangements for the establishment of the section are under active...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are academically independent and have the right to determine their own policies and procedures for academic affairs. Issues in relation to the review of examination results in HEIs are matters for the individual institution concerned in the first instance. The Department does not have any function in relation to these matters. The Ombudsman examines...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Summer Works Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Projects allocated funding under the 2020 Summer Works Scheme relate to applications submitted by schools in category 10 from the Summer Works Scheme 2016/17 and category 1 from the Summer Works Scheme 2020 onwards. Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the Scheme, applications are being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. I understand based on the information available to me that students in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they have vacated their accommodation. While I would wish to see this principle applied in the case of students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding was approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018 to enable the school in question to build three resource rooms and complete other conversion works. To date my Department has not received any correspondence from the school in relation to this project.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, a contract is due to be awarded this week (commencing 6 July, 2020) for the additional interim accommodation required for the school for the next academic year. However, a decision in relation to planning permission for this additional accommodation is still awaited. It should be noted that these delays are related due...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: On Friday 12th June my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” Detailed engagement with education partners and stakeholders is underway in relation to the development of public health guidance in a school setting. A core objective will be to ensure that schools and other education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Emergency Works Scheme (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In regards to Dreeny National School I am pleased to inform the Deputy that they have been approved for Emergency Works funding to address the situation caused by river erosion. My Department's Emergency Works Team has also received an application from the other school in question for a connection to the mains system. This is under consideration at present and a reply will issue directly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 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 similar...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is the mechanism used to fill teaching posts and is key to the ability of the Department to manage within its payroll budget. The redeployment panels are currently transacting and schools are filling teaching vacancies for the 2020/21 school year. While the redeployment of surplus teachers to permanent teaching posts is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I am very conscious of the staffing schedule and the need to prioritise teacher allocations in primary schools given their vital role in communities around the country. I am looking at how best to make further progress in reducing the primary teacher ratio in the context of the Programme for Government implementation. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The role of the SNA continues to be one to support the care needs of students and to assist classroom teachers, and special education teachers, to ensure that the student is able to access education, as set out in Section 5 of DES Circular 30/2014. There are no plans to change this role. SNAs are recruited specifically to assist in the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution. Section 8(1) of the Student Support Act 2011, which defines an “approved course” for student grant purposes, requires attendance of an approved course at an approved institution on a full-time basis. Any extension of the scope of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: The Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the school under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme. Department officials are aware of the urgency of this project and have made regular contact with the Principal on the matter. The school has procured a consultant who is leading the project through the construction stage.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (7 Jul 2020)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 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...