Results 181-200 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department has no records of any contracts currently held with the company in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 878 and 879 together. I can advise the Deputy that the promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and digital learning within our education system is a key priority for the Department of Education, and is reflected in multiple strategy documents, such as the STEM Education Policy Statement, Digital Strategy for Schools, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Please find attached requested information. Please note that data provided is for the 2023-2024 academic year. We hope to publish subject data for academic year 2024-2025 in June 2025. Data is taken from the post-primary online database for pupils taking Biology, Chemistry and Physics in either the Leaving Certificate or Leaving Certificate Vocational programmes. - ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Apr 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: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project for Gaelscoil Longfoirt has been devolved for delivery to Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB). The brief for this project includes the provision of a 12 classroom Primary school on a greenfield site at Abbeycarton, Longford. The project is currently at Stage 2a (the developed design stage) of the architectural process. The Design Team are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Apr 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: School Facilities (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 887 to 889, inclusive, together. Sensory gardens are provided as part of projects delivering accommodation for special classes, if there is not already one at the school. All post primary schools can plan to have an average of four classes and all medium to large primary schools will be expected to have special class provision if they don’t...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ireland’s 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 – aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills required to promote Sustainable Development (SDG 4.7). The strategy has five priority areas for action in line with the UNESCO Roadmap for ESD for 2030: Advancing Policy; Transforming Learning Environments; Capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings as part of our work towards 2030 and 2050 climate targets. This performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design, specification and delivery. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place. Nationally, at post-primary level, 48.6% of students are enrolled in multi-denominational or inter-denominational schools, 47.6% are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education, along with other Departments across the public service, implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This meant that many allowances were no longer payable to “new entrants” including Teachers. Among the allowances that had sanction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are currently 16 post primary schools across the country offering the Aonad model. There are also 11 post primary schools offering Sruthanna (streams). Both Aonaid and Sruthanna involve the teaching of post-primary subjects through Irish-medium education. It is possible for any post-primary school patron to contact my Department to explore the establishment of an Irish-Medium unit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 899 and 900 together. My department is committed to enabling children and young people achieve their full potential. As such, the Early Start programme was established in 1994 as a one-year intervention programme to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of educational disadvantage and of not reaching their full...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Apr 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: State Examinations (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 902 and 915 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ireland’s 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 – aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills required to promote Sustainable Development (SDG 4.7). The strategy has five priority areas for action in line with the UNESCO Roadmap for ESD for 2030: Advancing Policy; Transforming Learning Environments; Capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 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: Departmental Policies (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: TIMSS Advanced is an extension of the main TIMSS study that has been carried out at an international level periodically but less regularly than the main TIMSS study. TIMSS has taken place every four years since 1995 (so the upcoming 2027 cycle will be the 9th iteration), whereas TIMSS Advanced has taken place three times to date (1995, 2008, and 2015). TIMSS assesses the mathematics and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are two routes recognised by the Teaching Council to become a teacher in Ireland:A four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.) programme andA two-year postgraduate Professional Master of Education (PME) programme. The undergraduate/B. Ed. model offers students who are beginning their tertiary education and wish to pursue a career in teaching an opportunity to acquire a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children. I am delighted to update you on the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot 2023-2025. The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot has two strands and works to support children’s wellbeing and mental health in schools. Strand 1 sees direct counselling supports being provided to primary schools for...