Results 121-140 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: On the 7th of February 2025, together with Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan, I invited primary, post primary and special schools to apply to take part in Creative Connections, a pilot creative partnership programme. Part of the Shared Island initiative on tackling educational disadvantage, Creative Connections aims to promote collaboration, encourage creativity and enhance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Foreign Language Assistant (FLA) scheme comes under 'Languages Connect', Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education, which primarily aims to increase and diversify the uptake of Foreign Languages in the Irish Education System. The FLA scheme has its origins in cultural agreements between Ireland and the countries of France, Germany, Spain, Austria and Italy. Graduates,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I will arrange for the requested information to be forwarded to the Deputy once compiled.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: School secretaries are at the heart of the school and are the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole. Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department has not procured any services from this company. The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with his query. Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (17 Jul 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 3 General Classrooms, Science and Preparation area, Construction Room and Preparation area, Home Economic Room, Graphic Design Laboratory, Music Room, Project Store, 2 SET Rooms & Ancillary Rooms and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that the property in question is required for future educational accommodation requirements. My Department is examining additional education opportunities that could be facilitated within the property and ultimately its long-term use.

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I welcome the opportunity to introduce this motion to the House. I acknowledge the survivors whose courage and commitment have brought us to this point. I sincerely thank every single survivor for their bravery, whether they were in a position to come forward or not. In particular, I thank the late Mark Ryan and his brother David, who joined us yesterday in the Houses. I acknowledge the...

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank colleagues for their contributions and constructive input. I think we are all of the same view here. We all want to ensure the commission is set up as quickly as possible. We all want to ensure that survivors get the answers they so rightly deserve. We all want to ensure this happens as quickly as possible and in a way that is survivor centred and trauma informed. That is at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 75 together. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) is the psychological service of the Department of Education and Youth and provides critical services to the almost 1 million children and young people and almost 100,000 staff who work in our primary, post-primary and special schools daily. The vital and broad-ranging services...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: At post primary level a one point reduction would create circa. 1,200 additional teaching posts at an annual cost of approximately €65 to €70 million per annum (first year cost - approximately €22 to €23m). The salary costings will rise in line with the Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024-2026. The estimated one-off capital cost of reducing the pupil teacher ratio...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: It should be noted that under the Education Act, the Boards of Management of Schools have responsibility for the day to day management of schools. This includes decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools which are also a matter for the Boards of Management and principal of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. Schools are advised to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: It should be noted that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: It should be noted that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: It should be noted that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is committed to supporting the emotional well-being of all children including those who may have experienced trauma. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has engaged in extensive national training of school staff in the area of trauma-informed practice and have developed a eLearning course for school staff - ‘Introducing a Trauma Informed Approach: The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Teacher recruitment is a priority for my Department and there are now more qualified teachers than ever working in our schools. Analysis of payroll data, as of March 2025, shows that there are 79,225 teachers employed in our schools across the country with 43,221 at primary level including special schools and 36,004 in post-primary schools. The Department publishes data on teachers,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (16 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Following a Government Decision in September 2012, my Department implemented the outcome of the review of allowances and premium payments by the then Department of Public Expenditure Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. As a result, many allowances were no longer payable to many new public service entrants including “new entrant” teachers. Among the...