Results 14,641-14,660 of 15,994 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 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: School Transport (26 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: School Staff (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. The agreement provided for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department is committed to the highest standards of data protection compliance for the personal data it processes and takes its obligation with data protection legislation very seriously. My department engages with the Data Protection Commission to discuss potential data processing changes as necessary and consults with them formally where required. Engagement with the Data Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 80 together. Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank Deputy Carthy for his question regarding access to the Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). I have made enquiries in relation to the pupil referred to and I understand that the pupil has been referred to NEPS and the process will commence this term. In the interim if the parent/guardian has a concern they should engage with the school.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. As set...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for fabric defect works. The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (26 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: Weather Events (26 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Following the recent weather events and associated fallout from Storm Eowyn the Department of Education’s Planning and Building Unit and in particular the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) were in contact with a number of schools who have suffered critical damage. This will be primarily dealt with via insurance and supplemented, where necessary, through the Department’s Emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Online Safety (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The wellbeing of all learners is a key priority of the Department of Education, as well as the empowerment of parents and school communities through education and information. The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out the Department’s policy approach to continue the progress made in embedding digital technology across the curriculum and in all aspects of teaching, learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Medical Cards (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218, 239, 243, 244 and 245 together. I can inform the Deputy that I have received correspondence from the individual concerned and will be responding directly in relation to the issues raised. As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2023 Government approved proposals for the delivery of a package of ongoing supports and services for survivors of abuse in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The development of digital skills and literacy must start from a young age. The Department of Education’s response to the provision of digital skills and literacy within early childhood and care and school settings includes:Curriculum at all levelsDigital Strategy for Schools to 2027STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 225 together. My Department takes the issue of cyber security very seriously. The Information Communications Technology Unit, within my Department, takes a whole-of-team approach to protect my Department's data and IT systems. Departmental staff are supported in this function by IT security vendors and third-party support companies. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 Mar 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 primary school staffing arrangements for the 2025/26 school year are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Mar 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 at a national level and at a school level. A student participation unit was established in my department in April 2023 to help my department to make sure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department was notified of a document circulating that was being purporting to be a circular from the Department of Education on 27 February. The fake circular was titled “Arrangements for making up days in light of school closures in primary schools for 2024/26 school year” and contained misinformation. It was therefore of the utmost importance that my department counteract...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 Mar 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 primary school staffing arrangements for the 2025/26 school year are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together. 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 primary school...