Results 15,021-15,040 of 15,994 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: he large scale capital project for Marymount NS referred to by the Deputy, is included in my Department’s construction programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040. The project is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award. The next step for the project will be the authorisation to...

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

Helen McEntee: The following is the current position of building projects planned for the 4 schools referred to by the Deputy within the Drogheda school planning area:RN 62841E - project approved under the Department Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA) - project is current at stage 2A - project is to provide additional mainstream, specialist rooms and SET rooms.RN 71761C - project approved under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (8 Apr 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. If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of...

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

Helen McEntee: Following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years: adjustments to examination and assessments arrangements, and a post-marking adjustment to outcomes. This post-marking adjustment has ensured that results in the aggregate have remained the same on...

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

Helen McEntee: I can confirm my Department are in direct contact with the school referred to by the deputy regarding the accommodation issues outlined. My Department will continue to liaise with the school in this regard. The school also currently has a Major Project in architectural planning which will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide a 24 classroom...

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

Helen McEntee: The Gender Recognition Act 2015 comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. My department will participate fully in any follow up work arising from the recommendations of the review of the Act, including the recommendation relating to non-binary gender recognition.

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 568, 569, 570, 571 and 572 together. 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...

Special Education: Motion [Private Members] (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and — the Government...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is saving lives.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is saving lives.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this. I join with her in commending the fabulous work by our secretaries and caretakers in our schools. I had the opportunity last week to meet many of them at the Fórsa conference as part of the overall Easter conferences. We have made a lot of progress, notably in changing the way our secretaries are paid so they are now paid through the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (30 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 and for the Government. The DEIS Programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. The DEIS programme provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 4 - Construction. The project is in the final stage of construction, works on the school building are complete with some external works ongoing.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). This project is currently at Stage 4 which is the construction stage. It is envisaged that the project will be substantially completed in quarter three 2025 in accordance with the April 2025 Progress report from CMETB. My Department will continue to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 4 – Construction. The project brief is to provide a new 14 Mainstream Classroom Special School and all ancillary accommodation. The project commenced in April 2024 and works are progressing well on site, it is anticipated that construction will be complete in quarter 1, 2026....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: A major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently underway, and will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The project is being delivered in two phases, under my Department's Design and Build. The school commenced operation in the completed Phase 1 of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Transition Year is a valuable programme for students and under the redevelopment of Senior Cycle programme, it is my ambition that in the future every student who wishes to avail of Transition Year will have the opportunity to do so. This year, over 60,000 students are enrolled in TY programmes representing a record level of participation. Since 2018, the number of students choosing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school planning areas were developed for use with the department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) in 2008 and with the introduction of small areas in census 2011, these areas were amended to align with census small areas. The current school planning areas take account not only of local groupings of schools, but also of natural boundaries, census small areas and other local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,350 school building projects. Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 610,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: While the Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on individual or specific cases which are the subject of potential litigation, I can advise that the correspondence in question has been referred to the Chief State Solicitor's Office who I understand will respond in due course.