Results 13,901-13,920 of 15,969 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: All school visits and diary requests are dealt with through my office in the Department. The team can be reached by the following email address - - and they can liaise with the school in question.

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 495 together. There is a commitment under the Programme for Government to seek to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. I am liaising with my Department officials on the best way to deliver on this commitment. Any survey of primary school communities will be...

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

Helen McEntee: The total value of annual mileage claims for the years in question by Josepha Madigan who was a Minister of State in the Department of Education was: 2023: €14,182.46 2024: €3,737.02 The cost of overnight allowances submitted by her civilian drivers in the years in question was: 2023: €1,837 2024: NIL Minister of State Thomas Byrne was appointed in December...

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

Helen McEntee: In response to the information requested by the Deputy, I can confirm there are currently five civil servants working in my private office in the Department of Education and Youth, in Marlborough Street. Their grades are, two Higher Executive Officers, two Executive Officers and one Clerical Officer. In my constituency office, there are two civil servant roles, both at Clerical Officer grade,...

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

Helen McEntee: Regarding plans for increasing Irish-medium school places in the south Dublin area, it should be noted that the year of establishment, patronage model and language of instruction have yet to be determined for the new post-primary schools announced to serve the following school planning areas in the general south Dublin area: Dublin 2_Dublin 4 and Sallynoggin_Killiney_DLR/Cherrywood. A key...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Teaching Council of Ireland (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities, responsible for this...

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

Helen McEntee: I understand the Deputy's question refers to teaching and learning resources for Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). Teachers and schools can choose from a list of free SPHE resources developed by the NCCA. It is not a fixed list - teachers and schools can choose what works best for their students. These resources are hosted within the NCCA's online SPHE toolkits which can be...

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

Helen McEntee: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities, responsible for this process,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Admissions (5 Feb 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,...

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

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

Helen McEntee: While the number of exemptions held at post primary level have increased from 9.37% in 2017/18 to 13.36% in 2023/24, the number held at primary level have decreased from 3.25% to 2.05% over the same period. Overall, the increase at both primary and post primary is from 5.62% in 2017/18 to 6.98% in 2023/24. The number of exemptions must be viewed in the broader context: - School enrolments at...

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 departments pipeline of school buildings projects to provide the following accommodation: 2 General Classrooms, 4 SET room, 1 Graphics room & project store, 1 Home Economics Room, 2 Science labs & prep area, 1 construction room & prep area, 2 Classroom SEN base and Central activities room and 1 GP dining...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 511 together. Following the recent weather events and associated fallout from Storm Éowyn the Department of Education’s Planning and Building Unit and in particular the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) have been in contact with a number of schools who have suffered damage. The EWS team has provided guidance and support to a number of...

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

Helen McEntee: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities, responsible for this...

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

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects. This school is in the bundle referred to as ‘Project Boyne’. The brief for this project comprises of the development of a new build Post Primary school to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment of...

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: The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of the Department of Education to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. Supplementing universal supports, the DEIS programme provides a targeted and equitable way to address concentrated educational disadvantage that promotes equity and has benefits for students. My...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517 to 522, inclusive, together. 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 children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department. As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs my...

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

Helen McEntee: Since 2011, new arrangements have been in place for the establishment of new schools involving the forecasting of demand for school places based on demographic exercises carried out by the department. New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population...

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

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice. This approach is founded on research and best international practice in relation to how schools can best support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative...