Results 181-200 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports. The Government is very aware that small schools are an important part of the life of local communities. The current small schools' action research project established in 2021 in due to conclude at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity of access to education that empowers them to thrive and realise their full potential. In 2024, the free Schoolbooks Scheme was expanded from primary schools and rolled out to all children and young people enrolled in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my Department has recently approved the surrender of our lease interest on the property in question. My Department has issued an instruction to our legal representatives to progress the legal formalities relating to this matter. I can confirm that this file has been assigned to a solicitor and that the legal formalities will proceed in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for life safety system works. The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works such as Climate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. The department uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: School secretaries are at the heart of the school and are 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. Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together. Please find attached requested data. Data provided is for academic year 2023-2024 and we will revert to the Deputy with data for 2024-2025 when final data is published.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (15 Jul 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: School Admissions (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide one Special Education Classroom. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. My Department has been working closely with the school to ensure that this project advances as efficiently as possible, and the project has now...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department is in receipt of an application, for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question. As the Deputy will be aware the school have sought the advice of an independent consultancy firm in relation to their preferred location for the Modular building. I can confirm that my department has received the report...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide one Special Education Classroom. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. My Department has been working closely with the school to ensure that this project advances as efficiently as possible, and the project has now been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001, for primary teachers, and 29/2007 and 29/2010, for post-primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers were agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). These circulars may recognise prior teaching or relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide one Special Education Classroom. The project was devolved to the school authority for delivery. The Department has been working closely with the school to ensure that this project advances as efficiently as possible, and the project has now...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department is committed to supporting the delivery and development of youth work services and opportunities for young people across the sixteen education and training boards (ETBs), including Louth and Meath ETB. In 2025, €940,836 was allocated to Louth and Meath ETB under the UBU Your Space Your Place (UBU) scheme. This represents an increase of 4% on funding levels from 2024....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department provides grant funding to youth organisations to support a broad range of youth services which are delivered by both paid youth workers and volunteers. Youth workers are not employed by my Department. Youth workers and other staff involved in youth services in Meath are employed directly by the youth organisations in receipt of the grant funding. My Department does not currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early School Leavers (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The most recent figures available concerns the students who began their post primary education in 2017. This cohort were due to complete their Leaving Certificate in the academic years 2021-22 or 2022-23. The 2016 cohort finished in the years 2020-21 or 2021-22. Figures for the 2018 cohort finishing in 2022-23 or 2023-24 are yet to be published. The following table shows the number for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (15 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the statutory 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; to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education. Educational welfare officers...