Results 15,041-15,060 of 15,994 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 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 (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The amount of funding that has been provided to schools within Tipperary under the emergency works scheme in the years of 2024, and to date in 2025, totals €5.42 million and is broken down in tabular format below: 2024 €5.16m 2025 €0.26m

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders recommended the establishment of a Commission of Investigation as its principal recommendation and this has been accepted by Government. The Report of the Scoping Inquiry made a number of further recommendations and a high level Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) was convened to...

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

Helen McEntee: The Ancillary Services Grant is payable to recognised primary schools and special schools in the Free Education Scheme. The grant is intended to cater for the cost of employing Secretarial and Caretaking staff. It is up to the BOM to allocate this funding as per their priorities. As per Circular 0040/2009 (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/clarificati...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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. A number of measures to support primary and post-primary schools to recruit teachers have been introduced including a €2,000 bursary-style fee refund for teachers graduating with a Professional...

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

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputies 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 Permission was due to expire in December 2022 and it was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (30 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. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPA) and uses a geographical information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: On 22 April I announced changes to the Junior Cycle grade bands for students in 2025 and future years, adjusting the top four grade bands to become evenly distributed. This will have a positive impact on students, ensuring their grades are more reflective of their work and effort, as well as of the work of our teachers. In making this change, it is considered critically important that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admissions policies which have been developed following consultation with the school community including parents of students attending school and staff of the school, and which have been approved by the patron. All schools must publish their admissions policy on the school's website. The admissions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: All open competitions are administered by Public Jobs, the Department of Education has no oversight of their panels and is therefore unable to answer this question. It would be more suitable being referred with the relevant information to Public Jobs. The candidate can reach Public Jobs through their messages Portal.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Education Act, the Boards of Management of Schools have responsibility for the day to day management of schools. Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. This stage involves obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed Tender documents, and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. My Department manages the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Ancillary Services Grant is payable to recognised primary schools and special schools in the Free Education Scheme. The grant is intended to cater for the cost of employing Secretarial and Caretaking staff. It is up to the BOM to allocate this funding as per their priorities. As per Circular 0040/2009 the capitation grant provided for general running costs and the ancillary services grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: All open competitions are administered by Public Jobs, the Department of Education has no oversight of their panels and is therefore unable to answer this question. It would be more suitable being referred with the relevant information to Public Jobs. The candidate can reach Public Jobs through their messages Portal.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Cleaners are valued members of our school communities who carry out work vital to the operation of our schools. There are a number of employment arrangements in place for school cleaners, including those caretakers who were employed under a limited scheme introduced by the government of the time in 1978/1979, which was discontinued in 1985, and cleaners employed in ETB schools whose terms...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Sick Leave may be granted to a teacher who is unable to perform their duties when absent for the purpose of obtaining medical related services provided such appointments could not have been arranged outside of regular working hours or working days. The Public Service Sick Leave Scheme, which applies to teachers, is regulated by the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) Regulations 2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the design stages of architectural planning to Tender and Construction. The brief for this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the deputy refers was approved a school building project under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for 1 Engineering Room with Prep Room, 1 Construction Prep/Store Area & 1 Home Economics Room. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority. In the first quarter of 2023, department officials approved the project...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted funding under my department's 2021 Additional Schools (ASA) Scheme to provide one home economics room, one engineering room and preparation area, and one construction preparation/store area. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (1 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department is in receipt of a request for grant aid for a proposed land acquisition under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme from the school in question. I am pleased to confirm that approval was given under the Department's Modular Framework for two special education classrooms and six mainstream classrooms and this project was delivered...