Results 3,181-3,200 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers reached Substantial Completion in August 2024, with the school ready for occupation in the new school term. My Department is liaising with the Design Team in relation to the issue of the boundary wall and are reviewing the submitted proposal, department officials will keep the school updated when resolution is reached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (4 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 Transport (4 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 to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. this figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Meals Programme (4 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Hot School Meals Programme is funded by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is a vital component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. The Department of Social...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I highlight the positive benefits we have seen so far in the clusters that have been developed. First, they help to reduce the sense of isolation among school staff, particularly in rural areas and where there is a small number of staff. The Department has combined teacher allocation hours with part-time hours, where feasible, to create full-time posts and make it easier for those schools...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for his question. assure him tackling educational disadvantage and supporting children to fulfil their potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and youth. As the Deputy will know, the DEIS programme is a really positive key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. There has been a massive investment in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I want to ensure every young person gets the support they need, particularly those who need additional support, be it through the DEIS programme, DEIS plus or any other way because we know it works. The gap in retention rates between DEIS and non-DEIS schools have halved from 16.8% to 8.4% since the programme began. We know that focus and targeted intervention works. It is about how we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are a number of important strands here in making sure we get the best outcomes for young people with the home school liaison officers and ensuring we have counselling in primary schools. There is an important pilot scheme that has been extended to 61 urban DEIS primary schools in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Ballymun, Finglas and Darndale. I want to see that further expanded. There have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Schemes (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As someone who attended a small school where we only had three classrooms, I cannot stress the benefit and need for us to prioritise supporting our small schools and doing everything we can to retain them. What we have provided in the programme for Government is a very clear commitment to provide measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools project...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am aware that there has been engagement in the Cherrywood area, not just regarding primary but also post-primary schools. Decisions are yet to be made. The most important thing is that we do everything we can to provide choice and opportunities for young people. That is exactly what I am committed to. The programme for Government sets out very clearly that we need to do more. As I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. The most important thing is that we continue to invest in our schools and support our teachers to be able to provide the best education possible. We know in certain settings that the fewer pupils there are, the more targeted a teacher can be and the greater attention and focus they can give to pupils. In that regard, the Government is investing a record €11.8...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Thankfully, we have a growing young population and it is important that our investment in our young people and education grows with us. That is why we have seen the capital budget increase and have the highest overall education budget. That has allowed us to make the progress I referenced when it comes to reducing pupil-teacher ratios and increasing the number of teachers. In 2016, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I know how important it is for a young teacher to be able to get a permanent contract. It has implications in terms of looking for a mortgage and buying a home or car. It is absolutely vital that teachers can get a permanent contract. I have spoken to the TUI about that this week. I want to make sure that we do everything possible as I develop a new workforce plan to support the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I understand the provision of the modular accommodation of the four classrooms was to cater for the immediate need but that it is included and is part of the 18, so the need is 18 and that is the absolute commitment by the Department. It will obviously take time as this will require planning. The most important thing now is we can move on to those stages and then get to construction so...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would be happy to visit and would certainly love to meet the whole school community and see at first-hand the wonderful work that is being done. I stress it is the intention of the Minister of State and I to get to a position where we have the capacity we need for every young child to be able to attend school, to attend a school that is most appropriate for them and that this can be done...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist sin a chur. I fully support the important role Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí play in the promotion of the Irish language. We have committed very clearly in the programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish more Gaelscoileanna and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is clear from the statistics we have many more Irish-medium primary schools than post-primary schools. We will be conducting a survey shortly with primary schools to get a clear assessment of whether we have that figure right or whether we need to do more. I want to ensure that will feed into the possible demand and increased need for post-primary schools or Gaelcholáistí. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. There are often varied and complex reasons why a young person is not in school or needs support from an education and welfare officer. The only way we can deal with this is through everybody working together. That means the schools working with the programmes provided by the Tusla education support service. There is also an opportunity outside of school. I see a real...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Policy (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta, as an gceist sin a chur. As the Deputy rightly mentioned, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. I intend to prioritise the publication of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. The policy, together with an action...