Results 1-20 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I have absolute confidence in the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris. I say this not only as a colleague, but as someone who first met Simon 20 years ago, long before either of us was elected to politics. I know the kind of person he is. He is someone of compassion. He is someone with a relentless drive to deliver for people right across this country. He is someone who works tirelessly,...

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy's objective is clear here. Rather than be distracted by attempts at point scoring, this Government is determined to get on with the real work oif delivering an inquiry into scoliosis and spina bifida care that will finally give families and, most importantly, children the answers and improvements that they so rightly deserve. I want to take this opportunity, along with so many...

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The motion of no confidence was designed to divide, distract and drag the Dáil into theatre at a time when families are looking for solutions. By contrast, Simon Harris's leadership, at home and abroad, has built consensus and delivered results. I am proud to say that I have every confidence in our Tánaiste, in this Government and in the values that guide us - compassion, delivery...

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: Sit down and listen for once.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 418 together. The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is the provision of a new 600 pupil school building including all associated ancillary accommodation. The Department previously advised a new grant of planning was received in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached. Decarbonisation measures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires, where schools provide religious instruction, they must clearly set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404, 520 and 521 together. Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service and the two school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: This school is funded, resourced, and supported by my department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). This includes ongoing advice and guidance available to the school staff, school management and school patron. This is provided through the various teams and agents working with the school including NCSE, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), the Inspectorate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The staffing schedule for primary schools is designed to ensure fairness and consistency in the allocation of teaching posts, having regard to enrolment numbers. In relation to the specific school referred to by the Deputy, the allocation of a fourth teacher is determined in accordance with the staffing schedule for the relevant school year. Where a school's enrolment falls below the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that the necessary documentation required by my Department is currently being processed by our legal representative and once completed my officials will contact the school authorities immediately.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The brief for this project is to provide a new permanent school for the school referred to by the Deputy, and this project is designed to be delivered in 2 phases; Phase 1 will deliver accommodation for 425 students and Phase 2 will deliver the remaining accommodation to provide for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1000 students, at the former Magee Barracks site in Kildare. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers, to other schools that have vacancies. At primary level, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill their vacancies from the Main Redeployment Panel. Once all teachers on the Main Panel have been redeployed, permanent vacancies are offered to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: In 2015 the Department implemented the recommendations of the Report of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Teaching established under the Haddington Road Agreement (also known as the Ward Report) which provided for fixed-term contract teachers to acquire permanent positions more easily and quickly and enable part-time teachers to gain additional hours. The current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for mechanical and electrical works. This application has been approved and is currently with the school to progress further.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of constantly evolving information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. 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 those with special educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide a 3 classroom SEN Base.The project was devolved to the school for delivery. Approval to proceed to Stage 2b (developed design) was granted in April 2024. In June 2025, the Design Team advised they were finalising design elements and preparing tender...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. The staffing arrangements for primary schools includes a provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: In May I announced a range of measures to tackle school absenteeism. These measures are a key part of my plan to ensure that every child can achieve their full potential, regardless of their background or their ability. Regular attendance in school is essential not just for academic achievement, but for well-being, social development and long-term life outcomes. One of the initiatives I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered as part of the Department's ADAPT Programme. The Adapt Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction. The brief for this...