Results 21-40 of 14,494 for speaker:Norma Foley in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department. It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country. Around 800 school building projects have been completed and 300 other projects are under construction. School building projects under construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. This is a record level of investment and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project at the school is for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation. The project is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The original grant of planning expired in December 2022, but due to changes to the Planning Acts in September 2021, it was no longer possible to apply for an extension to the planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department currently has 11 ISDN/PSTN lines and 42 DSL lines. The lines are predominantly in use in my Department's regional offices. The necessity for PSTN/ISDN and DSL technology is mainly due to the unavailability of fibre connections at that location. Additionally, these lines are required for fax, franking machines and lift services. However, with the continuous expansion of fibre...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in our schools throughout the country. Around 800 school building projects have been completed and 300 other projects are under construction. School building projects under construction involve an overall State investment of over €1.2 billion. This is a record level of investment and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that in Q1 of 2023 formal approval was issued to an ongoing ASA project nearby allowing them to utilise an adjacent department-owned land for traffic management associated with that school and the school in question. This is a very positive step forward for the future of both projects, which should assist in terms of alleviating significant planning concerns...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school. The Department is aware of many instances where schools elect to contract cleaning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has recently received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: In 2022, I set out an ambitious programme for the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, guided by the vision of a Senior Cycle that delivers “equity and excellence for all.” Under this redevelopment, specifications for all Leaving Certificate subjects will be revised on an annual basis in groupings called “tranches.” By 2029, all Leaving Certificate subjects will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has been granted funding through my Department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme to provide 1 SET (Special educational tuition) room. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery and a design team has been appointed. A Stage 1/2a report was submitted but further details were required. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department in not in receipt of any applications for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from schools in the Rush and Lusk school planning area for mainstream classrooms. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department has responsibility for the administration of pension schemes for teaching and non-teaching pensionable employees of schools in the primary, voluntary secondary, and community & comprehensive sector paid on the payrolls of the Department of Education. In this regard, officials in my Pension Unit will review the list submitted by the Deputy with a view to establishing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). These circulars require a teacher to be in an appointed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The Leave of Absence following Assault Scheme is contained in the Department’s Circular Letter 0061/2017 for teachers and 0062/2017 for SNAs. It provides for special leave with pay (subject to specified limits) to a teacher or special needs assistant who is unable to perform their duties due to a physical injury following an assault that happened in the course of their duties and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including childcare and after school uses. However, the decision on the use of school property is a matter for the property owner taking into considerations the requirements of the school, students and staff. Also it is important that any proposed arrangement does not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Apr 2024)

Norma Foley: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). Teachers applying for incremental credit under any of the...