Results 221-240 of 18,527 for speaker:Norma Foley

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 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: Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that Budget 2025 provides an increase of €712 million in core current funding to my Department's Vote, as well as over €360 million in core capital funding. An additional €120 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living supports and €140 million in Ukraine related supports. These additional funds build on significant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Please find attached requested information for the years 2015–2023 inclusive, 2023 being the latest year we have available class size data. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and were collated from the relevant Class Size tables. The tables are published on the Departments of Education's website and can be found at the link below; ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Just over 43,000 teachers have been allocated in respect of the current school year 2024/25, for which the allocation process has not completed yet. In previous budgets, I have prioritised reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the lowest level ever...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide 2 Mainstream classroom, 1 Technology room and a Preparation Area, 1 Science Laboratory and Preparation area, 1 Art room and Project Store and a 2 Classroom Special Education Needs Base under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. A Stage 1 Design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The joint major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy is currently at the initial stage of Architectural Planning, Stage 1 – Preliminary Design, where the Design Team assess the site and current school buildings and prepare their initial sketch schemes. A preferred design option, including the scope and extent of works to be carried out, will be established during...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The Department of Education is in discussions with a developer on a potential disposal of the lands to the rear of the school referred to by the Deputy for the development of a public park and housing. These discussions to date have allowed for lands to be retained for the benefit of the aforementioned school. The sustainable development plan of a settlement area and the planned use of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Since 2020, my Department has invested over €5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 350 other projects, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.5bn. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (24 Oct 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. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities. There are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 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. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy, for the construction of a new 16 classroom school, a general purpose hall and classrooms for children with special educational needs is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The next steps for the project will be the issuing of a Letter Of Acceptance to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide 2 mainstream classrooms, 2 classroom Special Education Needs base and 2 Special Education Tuition rooms. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. Following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The project for the school referred to by the is part of my Department's construction programme and will be delivered as part of a campus project which will provide a new 8 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs for Dunshaughlin CNS and a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, where the design team secure all statutory approvals and prepare the suite of tender documents. The Design Team have recently made a revised application for statutory approvals and are completing any necessary revisions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 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 includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain published criteria. The school referred to by the Deputy was successful in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: While my Department primarily supports mainstream schools, it also provides funding for a small number of alternative education settings that provide education for a small cohort of children and young people, who for various reasons, have disengaged from mainstream education. This provision is an alternative, when all other supports, options and pathways have been tried and have not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (24 Oct 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 includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain published criteria. The school referred to by the Deputy was successful in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department has received a request from the patrons of the schools in question, to amalgamate the two schools. In November 2023, the Department issued a letter of approval to the Patron for the amalgamation to proceed. The Department’s technical team have carried out an assessment of the schools and the proposed new site. The consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (24 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Oct 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 of Education. In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a...