Results 981-1,000 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Senior Cycle Redevelopment is an ambitious programme of work which aims to enrich students’ experience Senior Cycle in a way that allows them to demonstrate a broader array of skills and competencies while reducing the pressure associated with end of year examinations. The approach to Senior Cycle Redevelopment has, from its outset, been a collaborative one that engages actively...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Education Act, the Boards of Management of Schools have responsibility for the day to day management of schools. Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Each year my Department advises schools of the list of prescribed texts for Leaving Certificate English for students entering fifth year. Requirements are different for students studying Higher level and Ordinary level. School authorities and teachers are asked to note that no specific text is compulsory, although at Higher level one of the listed Shakespeare plays must be studied. Dramas for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 508 together. This joint school building project will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide a 24 classroom primary school with classrooms for children with special educational needs for both schools. The schedule of accommodation was recently increased to include accommodation for children with Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: In order to deliver a world class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential, my Department has responsibility for a number of important strategies and action plans which are currently active:Education Plan 2025: This Annual plan is for the Department of Education and Youth. This is produced in line with the commitments set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department invests over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education and Youth as of end of May has a headcount of 2080. The Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is 2035.58. The Youth Affairs unit of the Department has a headcount of 21 and an FTE of 20.8. The grade breakdown of this unit is detailed below: Grade Staff FTE Principal Officer 2 2 Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Large-Scale Capital Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s School Building Programme. The large-scale capital project for the construction of a new extension and the refurbishment of existing facilities is to accommodate 1,000 pupils, with accommodation and classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision has approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works such as External...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 521 together. The Department recognises the vitally important role of Secretaries within school communities, as a key link between students, parents, school leaders and other staff ensuring that the administrative needs of the school are met. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. The Department of Education and Youth is not the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Work is currently underway on developing and publishing an allocation model for school secretaries. This is a complex task and requires factoring in a number of elements - such as school status, class type, enrolment numbers, and existing secretary arrangements - to ensure that the final model is fair to all schools whilst also meeting their practical needs. Up to the publication of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is child protection. That is not correct.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school building projects under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide a 4 Classroom SEN base and 2 SET classrooms. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. The Tender Report/Stage 3 report for the project was recently received by my department and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that under ESD to 2030, the 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development, significant work is underway in my department promoting outdoor education and biodiversity in schools. ESD to 2030 aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development (SDG target 4.7). A first progress report on ESD to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Choices regarding educational materials, textbooks and other educational products, as well as digital and online services, are made by individual schools and their boards of management, not by the Department. In general, it is the current policy of the Department of Education and Youth not to endorse publications, products or services from individual, commercial or other providers. For...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Section 64 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission to, or for continued enrolment in a school. No mandatory charge or fee may be levied on parents or pupils in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Uniforms (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Decisions on school uniforms are a matter for individual schools and Boards of Management. My department issued Circular 0032/2017, which sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school. Under these measures, schools were advised that they should select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The school referred to by the Deputy is one of the five new special schools being established for the 2025/26 school year. A former school property is currently being re-purposed...