Results 19,501-19,520 of 19,666 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: My Department is conscious of the issues in the English language education sector arising from the Covid-19 outbreak and has established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers. As part of this process, the representative bodies for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 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. All special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: This 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 which is being allocated to 102 Primary DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jun 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. There is no change to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in special schools, in accordance with the policies of my Department. Staffing arrangements for special schools are in line with policy advice provided by the NCSE in 2013, which did not recommend alteration...

Taoiseach a Ainmniú (Atógáil) - Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed) (27 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, as ucht an t-am agus an deis seo a thabhairt dom. Rachaidh mé gan mhoill chuig obair thábhactach an lae. Tairgim: Go n-ainmneoidh Dáil Éireann an Teachta Micheál Martin chun a cheaptha ag an Uachtarán mar Thaoiseach. I move: That Dáil Éireann nominate Deputy Micheál Martin for appointment by the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I welcome the witnesses and greatly value their contribution to this debate. First, I refer to the survey that Inclusion Ireland conducted between 30 April and 20 May in which 89% of respondents, and these are parents of children with additional needs, said that their children were missing school and a further 78% said that students were not motivated to learn or it was not easy or...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I find that shocking.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: It is appalling that service users, for want of a better phrase, were not in any way negotiated with, included or involved in putting together a programme that would work for children with additional needs.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I am sorry to interrupt Mr. O'Connor but can I take it that this was a briefing after the fact and that Inclusion Ireland was just being informed of decisions that had already been made?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: Is that the organisation's ongoing experience? What is its experience of dealing with the Department and of representing parents and children with additional needs and particular challenges? What is its experience of being included in negotiations, discussions and projected planning to meet existing needs and challenges?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: Ms Dempsey speaks very eloquently on behalf of Inclusion Ireland and the parents it represents. If I were one of those parents listening to this discussion at home, the distinct impression I would get is that, when it comes to the witnesses' engagement with the Department of Education and Skills, they were not listened to or heard and were brought in only after the fact. Is that an accurate...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I have one more question for Ms Dempsey. We know now from listening to the witnesses where they were before and where they are now. It is clear that the system needs to change. What one thing would they like to see changed, going forward, in their dealings with the Department?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I am afraid I am out of time. I thank the witnesses for answering my queries.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I welcome the officials from the National Council for Special Education and the Department. I appreciate their presence today. In my constituency of Kerry, principals and parents have raised the allocation of SNAs. I very much welcome the rollover of SNA allocation and SET allocation from last year to this year. That is very positive and progressive. Notwithstanding that, the needs of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: The application has been made. I am asking about the timeframe for the decision to be made and the school to be informed as to where it stands.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: I was told that it would be reviewed again in the autumn.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: Okay, I would welcome that. The sooner it can be done the better.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: With the very new experience schools will have in August and September when children return given the Covid-19 stay-safe measures, is the Department considering appointing additional SNAs even on a temporary basis to accommodate children with additional needs and also the greater needs that will arise in schools because of the conditions in which we assume schools will be operating?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Norma Foley: Perhaps I could put that question about additional needs in a school to Mr. Tattan. For example, I am very familiar with schools that have 30 students in mainstream classrooms and there would obviously be students with additional needs within that classroom setting. Bearing that in mind, and given the new measures that will have to be put in place to deal with Covid-19 and safety, will the...