Results 2,061-2,080 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education and Youth is committed to providing schools at both primary and post-primary level with as much detail regarding grants, grant amounts and expected payment timeframes for each academic year in as far in advance as is practicable. For the 2025/26 academic year, officials in the Department are currently considering the presentation of schedules for grants that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 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 Staff (20 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Agreement has been reached in principle regarding disposal of Department land to the HSE near a school (details supplied) for a proposed Primary Care Centre. The transaction is currently on hold while the HSE evaluates current service needs and estate planning in the area with the newly delivered Clondalkin Primary Care Centre and the operational Rowlagh Health Centre.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 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 for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I know that teachers experience challenges that were not so acute for previous generations. That is why I have announced that to help teachers to gain permanent roles more quickly, we will develop a new agreement which will see teachers who have taught for one year and successfully interview for a viable post in that school the following year, immediately getting offered a permanent contract...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 to 504, inclusive, together. The provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine. As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2025 provides for an unprecedented €11.8 billion investment in education and schools, an increase of some 9 per cent on the same figure in Budget 2024. Currently there are almost 88,000 teaching posts allocated across the primary and post-primary school system. This represents an increase of over 10,000 teachers when compared with the 2019/20 school year. The key factor...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The design team to deliver the project was appointed by KWETB in May 2024 and they are currently finalising the Stage 1 (preliminary design) for submission to the Department for review. Once the Stage 1 report has been received, reviewed, and approved by the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge the significant engagement I have had with the Deputy on this. It is a priority for him to make sure that children have access to those special school places. I can confirm that, following agreement by the school to the brief of accommodation in March, my Department is preparing the brief formulation report for the 14 special educational classrooms and ancillary accommodation....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge the teachers, the wonderful SNAs and special education teachers and everyone in our schools for the fantastic work they do. While billions of euro has gone into our schools portfolio in recent years, there is obviously more we need to do. I am very aware that there are schools that need replacement buildings and extensions and where further progress needs to be made. I am...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I look forward to attending the opening of Harold's Cross school and, I hope, of many others in the Deputy’s constituency as we work to provide education for our young people. It is really important that we have therapies in our schools. Children spend so much of their time in school, it is important that they have access to therapies while there. The Government's very clear...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Once again, I acknowledge the fundamental work that our paramedics play in keeping people safe. For so many people, they are the first point of contact. They can stabilise people and make sure they get to hospital on time. I acknowledge their role and work in our healthcare system. I do not have the details of the particular case the Deputy mentioned, but I can ask the Minister to look...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge and commend our colleague from Louth for the fantastic result at the weekend in what was a fantastic game.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: If I mentioned other counties, we could be here all day. I acknowledge the importance of the large-scale infrastructure grant and the contribution it has made to sport across our country. There is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government to make sure we continue to invest in smaller scale projects via the sports capital grant. Obviously, any decision on a larger scale would...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: We all agree that our objective, working closely with the HSE and individual hospitals, is to make sure that hospitals have the equipment they need and that patients can access services in their communities as quickly as possible. I will raise the matter with the Minister directly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The significant investment that has gone into special education in recent years has been with the sole purpose of making sure children have places and that when they are in school, whether it is in special schools, special education classrooms or mainstream classes, they have access to the support that is appropriate to them. That is why we have more than 23,000 SNAs and thousands of new...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: We all acknowledge the importance of credit unions in our towns and villages, for many reasons. While I am not aware of the particular cases Deputy Lawless mentioned, I can certainly raise the matter directly with the relevant Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I join with the Deputy in commending the members of our fire service, An Garda Síochána and all of our emergency services on the fantastic work they do in protecting us and keeping us safe. A huge amount of work happened under the previous Government. That has continued into the term of this Government. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has engaged with the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. He and I live in commuter towns. The populations in such towns have grown significantly in recent years. What is most important is that the services respond to those increases in population and that we forward plan insofar as is possible. In recent years, particularly this year, 15 new special classes have been sanctioned for County...