Results 13,881-13,900 of 15,969 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Extra Personal Vacation (EPV) Leave is available to a primary teacher who has completed a department approved summer course only. EPV Leave is not available to post-primary teachers. The maximum EPV Leave entitlement in a school year is 5 school days, regardless of the number of summer courses completed by a teacher. An application for EPV Leave is subject to the prior approval of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Enrolments (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision-making authority for any school closure is the patron/trustees of the schools, subject to the approval of my Department. In previous budgets, reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools was prioritised which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Accommodation (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including childcare and after school uses. My Department has recently published the Procedures on the use of school property and school sports facilities outside of school hours. These Procedures are available for each school to refer to for guidance in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Facilities (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for a new boiler and heating system in October 2024 which was immediately approved with all works completed and funding drawn down in December 2024. The school subsequently contacted the EWS team regarding its fire alarm and was advised to submit an EWS application in this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 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 9 Mainstream classrooms (6 Prefab replacement) and a 2 Classroom SEN base. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. The Stage 2b Report was received by my department in Q4 of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Transport (5 Feb 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: State Examinations (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Framework for Junior Cycle was introduced on a phased basis between September 2014 and September 2021. The Junior Cycle aims to provide students with learning opportunities that achieve a balance between learning subject knowledge and developing a wide range of skills and thinking abilities. Subject specifications and assessment arrangements were revised on a phased basis to reflect this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Children and young people have a right to have their voices heard and taken seriously in all matters that affect them. My department is committed to embedding a culture of participation of children and young people in policy development. A student participation unit was established in my department in April 2023 to help my department to make sure that the voices of children and young people...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 499 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the following staff are employed in County Clare, in respect of the areas of the Education Sector for which my Department has responsibility. Please note, whereas data can be provided on a per County basis, no indicators are available to identify local electoral areas within Counties, and this...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As of 29 January 2025, there are two special advisers attached to my Department for the purpose of assisting me in the performance of my duties as Minister of Education and Youth. Mr. Patrick Cluskey provides advice on policy matters and Ms. Cliona Doyle provides assistance with press and media matters. The salary scale for a Special Adviser to a government Minister is the same as the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Correspondence (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 478 and 480 together. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the and in line with the The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Their role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. They do this through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Accommodation (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department's pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide a 1 Class SEN base and reconfiguration works to provide an ASD class. I can confirm that my Department approved this project to proceed to Stage 2b (post planning approval). My Department is currently awaiting the submission of a Stage 2b report from the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Curriculum (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, since March 2022, an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education has been progressing, including redevelopments to the Leaving Certificate Established (LCE), the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and Transition Year (TY) programmes. The NCCA has published the schedule for the revision of all...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Disadvantaged Status (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my department to address concentrated educational...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Disadvantaged Status (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are 12 Primary Schools in the DEIS programme in Co Meath. Official Name - - - AINE NAOFA N S Fairgreen Navan Co. Meath GILSON NATIONAL SCHOOL Church Street Oldcastle Co. Meath MERCY CONVENT N S Railway Street Navan Co. Meath ...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information sought by the Deputy in regard to the cleaning services and security services provided by private companies is set out in the table. In regards to cleaning services, the contract is apportioned to multiple locations and includes services provided to Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Marlborough Street, Tullamore, 52 St Stephens Green...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Contracts (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information sought by the Deputy in regard to directly employed cleaners and service officer is set out in the second table. The information in respect of aegis 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 first table, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with her query....

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Management (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department has no readily available records outlining when the school referred to by the Deputy, began operating from its current location. However, the school's most recent additional school accommodation application states that they are operating from this location since the late 1960's.