Results 15,521-15,540 of 15,994 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Officials from my Department are aware of the agreement that is in place between the parties operating on this site, that were agreed upon at a local level many years ago. The Department of Education and Youth supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including childcare and after school uses. The decision on the use...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The main focus of my department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. I can confirm that my department is in receipt of an application, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 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, received 16 May 2025, is currently being reviewed by the EWS team. Once reviewed, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 May 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 process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school secretary is at the heart of the school and is the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools traditionally received assistance to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Educational Training Board (GRETB). The project is currently at stage 1 of the architectural design process. The execution of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between my Department and GRETB is complete. The Design Team for the project was appointed in April 2025, to design the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (22 May 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: Departmental Staff (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education’s Blended Working Policy was introduced at the end of 2023 and allows staff members to make applications to work remotely for up to 3 days per week. The Department continues to accept applications from staff members to formalise their blended working arrangements and work is ongoing to promote this. Approximately 25% of staff members have formal blended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the Educational Welfare Service (EWS), is under the remit of my department since 2021. The primary role of the EWS is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The data published by Tusla recently shows that in the 2022/2023 school year, over 110,000 primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 May 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 process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Equipment (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 231 and 233 together. The table below sets out the information requested by the Deputy relating to the software in use in my department. Provider Software Version HCL Technologies Lotus Notes 12.0.2 Microsoft Teams* 25094.310.3616.953. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Equipment (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The table below sets out the information requested by the Deputy relating to the cloud services in use in my department. Certain cloud services are excluded for security reasons. My department has previously been advised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) not to disclose details of its cyber security operations which could in any way compromise the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department does not use a commercial internet service provider as its internet service is provided through the Government Networks shared service which is delivered by the OGCIO (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer) in Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is a need to ensure careful consideration about the use of AI in all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment, and that teachers and school leaders have the necessary. The Digital Strategy for Schools reflects the importance of AI and the use of data in the education context. Ongoing research, engagement with other EU member states and national regulatory changes including the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria required to have incremental credit awarded to qualified Special Needs Assistants (SNA) is set out in Circular 0139/2006 and was agreed with the unions representing the Special Needs Assistants, School Management Representatives, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of Education. Circular 139/2006 sets out in section 4.3 that incremental credit...

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 10, after “Education” to insert “and Youth”. I will speak broadly as I know this is the first time the Bill has been back in the House with this Government and this is the first time I am taking it as Minister. I am pleased to be before the House to progress Report Stage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential...

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. There is nothing we can say or do that will change what happened to so many young people. That is not what we are trying to do here at all. With the introduction of a redress scheme when parameters are put in place, the challenge is that someone will always be outside them. It is difficult, whether we are talking about this particular scheme...

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, lines 27 and 28, to delete “Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth” and substitute “Minister for Children, Disability and Equality”.

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 5: In page 6, line 15, after “Education” to insert “and Youth”.