Results 21-40 of 14,832 for speaker:Norma Foley in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: As Minister for Education I believe it is crucially important that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. Since June 2020, and over the past four Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: 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 arrangements for the 2024/25 school year are set out in Circular 0011/2024. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 May 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 traveling 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: School Enrolments (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: For school planning purposes the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The major project for St Mologa's SNS has recently completed Stage 2(b) of the architectural design process. Stage 2(b) involves securing all statutory approvals, detailed design and the preparation of tender documentation. The next stage, subject to relevant Stage 2(b) approvals, will be Stage 3, tender stage. Projects are subject to relevant due diligence by the Department at each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (29 May 2024)

Norma Foley: As the Deputy has been advised the policy on patronage divesting is to use existing educational infrastructure to facilitate provision of diversity in areas where there is no demographic imperative to establish new schools. As part of the process of identifying a suitable accommodation solution which would facilitate the establishment of the school, my Department liaised with Cork...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I believe it is crucially important that all children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. Since June 2020, and over the past four Budgets, I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal. One of the most important policies in this regard has been the establishment of Ireland’s first free primary school book...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Supporting special education needs provision in schools is a priority for my department. This includes the provision of necessary furniture and equipment as part of school building projects and the replacement of existing furniture and equipment as deemed appropriate. Schools are supported through school furniture frameworks to have sufficient appropriate furniture and equipment to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that 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. As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: It is an absolute priority of the Department to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place that is appropriate to their needs and we are continually investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case. Testament to this is that nearly 400 new classes for children with special education were established for the 2023/24 school year and school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: The role of schools within communities is crucial and I wish to acknowledge the huge contribution being made daily by all school leaders in the operation of our schools. Since I first took office, I have continued to have regular meetings and engagements with the key partners at all levels in the sector, to get their unique and valued perspectives. This allowed me to learn about the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I can assure the Deputy that 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. As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: It is an absolute priority of the Department to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place that is appropriate to their needs and we are continually investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case. Testament to this is that nearly 400 new classes for children with special education were established for the 2023/24 school year and school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Building on investment already made in previous years, the Department of Education continues to provide substantial investment in order to expand and promote creative collaboration among clusters of schools. Under the umbrella of the Schools Excellence Fund, the Creative Clusters Programme was piloted as an action in the first Creative Youth Plan 2017-2022 and supported clusters of three...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm that my department received an application under the Additional Schools' Accommodation Scheme in 2021 from the school in question. The application was for the provision of three special education needs classrooms on foot of the sanction of three special classes by the NCSE in February 2021. Funding was approved in 2022 for replacing an existing prefab with an 80m² modular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €4.5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 800 school building projects have been completed and 300 other projects are under construction. This level of construction roll-out recognises the priority that Government puts on investment in education. New medium term capital allocations for the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (28 May 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 are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. This figure is made up over 135,000 pupils travelling mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. Budget 2024 reflects this Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in the education system through various measures: Introduction of a professional master’s of education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (28 May 2024)

Norma Foley: Tá obair ar bun i mo Roinn faoi láthair maidir le polasaí nua don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Tógfaidh an polasaí seo ar an méid atá a bhaint amach againn faoi láthair faoin bPolasaí don Oideachas Gaeltachta chun tacú le soláthar an oideachais lán-Ghaeilge i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Agus an...