Results 2,981-3,000 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The position is that staff absent on certified leave (which includes Assault Leave) must obtain a standard medical certificate from their doctor for school records. The staff member must also ensure that the school receives the medical certificates and enters the absences in a timely manner through the On-Line Claims System (OLCS). Failure of schools to input leave in a timely fashion can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank Deputy Carthy for his question regarding access to the Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). I have made enquiries in relation to the pupil referred to and I understand that the pupil has been prioritised for referral to NEPS and the process will commence this term.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 602 together. As both questions from the Deputy are in relation to a similar topic related to Section 29 appeals, I will combine the two questions and issue one reply that addresses both questions. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 as amended by Section 7 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 provides for an appeal, where a board...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services, the Home School Community Liaison Scheme and the School Completion Programme. The three TESS strands...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred by the Deputy has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects, specifically to provide one mainstream classroom and two Special Education Teaching (SET) rooms under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021. In 2022, the project scope was expanded to increase the project to two mainstream classrooms, two SET rooms, and a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The programme for Government commits to ‘expand the provision of after-school and childcare in school buildings and campuses, in tandem with the school building programme, to provide better access for parents and communities. My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including the provision of early...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide nine general classrooms, five SET Rooms, one graphics room, one music room, one textiles room and a 2 classroom special educational needs (SEN) base as well as demolition of existing prefab block. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The programme for Government commits to expand the provision of after-school and childcare in school buildings and campuses, in tandem with the school building programme, to provide better access for parents and communities. My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including the provision of early learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The modular accommodation project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs, for the 2025/26 school year on a temporary school site. It is envisaged that further mainstream classroom modular accommodation will need to be provided on the temporary school site pending delivery of the permanent school building project. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers is at Stage 4 – In Construction. I am aware that there were delays from the outset, as a number of issues arose, which is not unusual given the nature of a brownfield city centre site. My Department sanctioned the appointment of a Project Manager on the project, along with the development of a Building Information Model (BIM) to encourage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to confirm my Department are not in receipt of a sports capital grant for the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department would appraise the application once received and engage with the school authorities in this regard. My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including childcare and after...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. As you are aware, on the 5th of February this year, I announced the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 - www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/8 - and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016 -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity of access to education that empowers them to thrive and realise their full potential. On 5th February I announced details of the final phase of the free schoolbooks scheme with the extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, students in post-primary schools in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major project referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The site referred to by the Deputy is situated in the Adamstown Strategic Development Zone for which a planning scheme or masterplan designates areas for development. The subject site is designated for educational use. The current outline planning application for a primary school development does not preclude the department from developing a post primary school on the site. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 624 to 626, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department has approved the progression of a large scale major project for the construction of a new primary school in the area referred to. This project is being delivered under my Department’s Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering (ADAPT) Programme. The ADAPT...