Results 14,881-14,900 of 15,994 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund which is managed by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to Ireland’s social and economic development. It is assisting schools in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint as part...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 135 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 project was originally authorised to proceed to tender, upon completion of the prequalification shortlisting process in September 2022. Planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department has a very significant capital programme that is providing additional capacity around the country, underpinned by a robust forward planning process. Since 2020, my Department has invested over €5.8 billion in our schools, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Additionally, my officials work very closely with schools and patrons to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: To ensure alignment of school provision with rollout of additional residential development, the department liaises with all 31 Local Authorities in respect of the County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas. My department engages with all consultation phases of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, the new special school will be based at the former primary school building in Carignavar. The scope of repurposing works to facilitate the establishment of the new special school is currently being worked through by Project Managers and their Design Team. A contractor framework is in place to facilitate commencement of works when the scope of works and design process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the deputy may be aware, officials from the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) team attended a site visit to the school in question in March of this year. My Department is continuing to engage with the school to find a solution to the ongoing issues. At present the school is in the process of undergoing a leak detection test to inform an appropriate scope of works. Once this has been received...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Apr 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: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 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 Additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school in question was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide 1 special education tuition room, 1 music room, 1 graphics room, 1 technology room, 1 technology preparation area and 1 special educational needs (SEN) base. This project is devolved for delivery to the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy of government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department is investing over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a 750 pupil post primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs. It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,300 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 Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The projects in County Wicklow to which the Deputy refers have been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) and the NDFA respectively. Regarding Blessington Community College, I can confirm that in Quarter 2 2023, my Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief to reflect a significant increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver an extension to the existing school to expand it to become a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms, for children with special educational needs, which will be delivered as part of a shared educational campus. It is intended that the project will be delivered under my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Pay and workplace reform measures for public servants have been governed by a framework of public service pay agreements with the current agreement “Public Service Agreement (PSA)” in place until June 2026. The agreements provided for pay restoration for public servants and new entrant pay has been gradually restored over the years. The previous agreement, Building Momentum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 520 together. This Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. This remains a top priority. As with other sectors, recruitment challenges exist in some schools. To address teacher supply issues, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy is a campus project devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Educational Training Board (GRETB). This project was approved to proceed to tender (stage 3 of the architectural process) in February 2025. Once this stage has concluded, the project will progress onwards to construction in due course. While at this current stage, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for the Department of Education. The Department of Education’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice. The approach in the Wellbeing Policy is founded on research and best international practice in relation to how schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy of government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department is investing over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Voluntary contributions can be requested by schools; however, it must be made absolutely clear to parents that there is no requirement to pay, and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own choice. Section 64 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018, which was commenced in 2018, explicitly prohibits the charging of admission and enrolment fees for admission...