Results 481-500 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: This Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. My Department has implemented a range of teacher supply measures in recent months including an initiative to assist teachers gain permanent roles more quickly. Several measures are already in place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). The brief for this project relates to the extension and alterations to the existing secondary school to deliver a 700 pupil school and a 2 class SEN base. The project is currently at Stage 4 construction stage with works estimated to be completed in the coming weeks. LMETB will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 emergency is deemed to be a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The overall Department of Education and Youth capital spend for the school referred to by the Deputy for 2024 and 2025 to date is detailed below: Department of Education Capital Spend 2025 2024 Emergency Works Scheme 952,022 Minor Works 11,180 11,420 Furniture & Equipment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is attached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers is part of a school campus project at Kilbride, Co. Wicklow. It has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The project was authorised by the Department to proceed to Stage 3 (tender stage) in November 2024. The Stage 3 Tender Report was recently submitted to the Department and following review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department provides significant funding to the organisation in question and the wider youth sector. Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2020 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Between 2023 and 2025, there has been a 10.7% increase in core funding to Scouting Ireland. Annual funding is provided to the organisation under the Youth Services Grant Scheme which supports national youth organisations to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The brief for the project is to provide a new build replacement school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils including a 4 class SEN base. The project is currently at Stage 2b (post planning process) of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I know that teachers experience challenges that were not so acute for previous generations, including casualisation within the teaching profession. That is why I have announced that to help teachers gain permanent roles more quickly, a new agreement is being developed which will see teachers who have taught for one year and successfully interview for a viable post in that school the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. Home tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my Department is not in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school in question. I understand that the school building project referred to is being funded through the Department of Justice. The Deputy may wish to contact that Department to seek an update in relation to same.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school's...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that repurposing works to improve the school's existing accommodation have been completed. The target date for completion of site works associated with the installation of the modular accommodation is 22 September. There are a number of days required following this date for statutory approval to enable the occupation of the building.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: This Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. Registered post-primary teachers can avail of free upskilling programmes including in Irish. These flexible programmes boost teachers’ employment opportunities while addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 858, 859 and 860 together. Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was published on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is my department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying behaviour including cyber bullying, racist bullying,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 862 and 863 together. The Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) receives an annual funding allocation from the Department of Education and Youth (DoEY) which funds the majority of the commission's work. It should be noted that the SEC also receives income from examination and appeals fees. The funding allocated to the SEC for the years 2020-2025 was as follows: - Allocation ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including classrooms for children with special educational needs. This project has been assigned to my Departments Design & Build delivery programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 869 and 870 together. Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in...