Results 1-20 of 18,281 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 96 together. The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme and will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs on a site at Kishogue Cross, Griffeen Avenue, Lucan,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy, that the decision-making authority for any amalgamation is the patron/trustees of the schools concerned and it is open to any patron to submit proposals to the Department for consideration. Any proposed change involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 is underpinned by an investment of some €200m committed to in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, providing continuity of funding following the €210m that issued to schools to support the previous strategy. Grant funding of €100m from the NDP commitment of €200m has issued to schools under the Digital Strategy for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department has no record of an application for funding for the provision of a ‘wet room’ in relation to the school in question. The school to which the deputy refers was recently granted approval to reconfigure existing accommodation to provide one Special Education Needs classroom and four Special Education Tuition Rooms under the Department's SEN Reconfiguration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 950 school building projects have been completed and 350 other projects are under construction, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 project currently at construction involves a total state investment of over €1.5 billion. The Department announced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (23 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational where feasible. As the Deputy may be aware, the 'Procedures on the use of school property and school sports facilities outside of school hours' were published in June this year. The Procedures replaced the ‘Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours’ which...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I begin by wishing the Chairman a speedy recovery. I am pleased to be here this morning together with officials from my Department. I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak with its members and ask for their consideration of the Department's Supplementary Estimates for 2024. Following approval by the Government, the Department is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: On school secretaries and caretakers, the Deputy will be aware that all school secretaries who were keen to come onto the payroll of the Department of Education have now signed up and crossed over. They are now automatically paid by the Department of Education as distinct from receiving payment from their school board or through grants received by the board. I gave a commitment that a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. As regards school transport, a number of recommendations came out of the review of school transport. A phased implementation of the review has begun, and that includes the pilot projects. We have funding in place to continue the pilot projects and add to them. Our ambition is, as we have outlined previously to this committee, to ensure that by 2030 we will have a further 100,000...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Mr. Loftus is very keen to cover that one.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I was giving the committee the opportunity to hear from the head of planning and building. The subhead is used to fund school accommodation. This is A15: to buy sites, deliver smaller scale works in schools, provide furniture and equipment and address remediation works. The current allocation subhead provides for grants towards rental of temporary school premises at primary and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: By infrastructure, we mean school buildings, really, specifically the project roll-out of those school buildings. I am very happy to come back-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: We have a forward planning unit within the Department and it is very successful. We now liaise with local authorities, for example, on their future projections. We also gather all the data that is necessary. It is a GIS system. We engage with child benefit and so on. As regards the figures we are talking about here, we have currently 350 projects on the ground at construction, and the...