Results 14,561-14,580 of 15,972 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department continue to review and follow guidance issued by the National Cyber Security Centre, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform on the use of Artificial Intelligence. A proof of concept to examine if AI technologies could support Departmental staff in responding to customer queries was completed. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank the Deputy for his enquiry concerning the use of a building located in County Tipperary for special education needs. As the Deputy has highlighted the building is currently in use for education purposes. All buildings at the location referenced by the Deputy have future planned uses ascribed to them. The information below outlines my Department's policy and actions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Period Poverty (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The recently published Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes the commitment to provide free period products in schools to ensure no student is held back due to period poverty. I intend to make progress in relation to providing free period products and work in this area is being advanced. My department is participating in the work of the inter-departmental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, which builds on the progress made under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, will be underpinned by some €200m included in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 providing continuity of funding following the €210m that issued to schools to support the previous strategy. The second tranche of the successor Digital Strategy ICT...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been made aware of the current situation in relation to the financial position of the school. My Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to the school as quickly as necessary to avoid any further uncertainty. Officials from my Department are in contact with the school and the school’s Patron.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my Department has recently approved the surrender of our lease interest on the property in question. My Department has sent an instruction to our legal representatives to progress the legal formalities relating to this matter and this process is ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 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 five mainstream classrooms, one SET room and a two classroom Special Education Needs (SEN) base. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. I can confirm that this project is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Mar 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 Education and Skills: School Curriculum (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme's vision is for equity and excellence in education. The approach to Senior Cycle redevelopment is ambitious, optimistic and inclusive and will be in phases. Senior Cycle redevelopment will ensure that the diversity of students’ learning needs and strengths are addressed and that all learning pathways in school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been made aware of the current situation in relation to the financial position of the school. My Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to the school as quickly as necessary to avoid any further uncertainty. Officials from my Department are in contact with the school and the school’s Patron.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2-week placements as part of the ITE programme. This requirement is outlined in the Teaching Council’s Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. The programmes shall follow Na Siollabais Oifigiúla do na Tréimhsí Foghlama sa...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2-week placements as part of the ITE programme. This requirement is outlined in the Teaching Council’s Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education and such programmes must follow Na Siollabais Oifigiúla do na Tréimhsí Foghlama...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The expansion of capacity at special schools is an important priority for my Department including for the special school referred to by the Deputy. I can confirm that in 2022 approval was granted by the Department for a traditional build project to provide four additional special education classrooms and the project is currently at design stage. The school subsequently submitted an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been made aware of the current situation in relation to the financial position of the school. My Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to the school as quickly as necessary to avoid any further uncertainty. Officials from the Department are in contact with the school and the school’s Patron.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The current position in respect of the joint major building project referred to by the Deputy is as follows. The major project for the schools referred to in this question are currently at Stage 2(a) of Architectural Planning - Developed Design - which is a crucial element of the architectural planning process as it is at this stage that the design is developed to a stage where it can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 my department. As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Mar 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 Education and Skills: School Transport (25 Mar 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 daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department in the format requested. Officials in my Department will collate this information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy directly. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. It is currently being collated and reviewed by officials in my Department and a response will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.