Results 201-220 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Tipperary Education and Training Board. The project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural planning design process (detailed design). The Stage 2a report has recently been submitted to the Department. Once reviewed and approved, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the necessary statutory...

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: Departmental Policies (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Cineáltas flags were sent to all primary and post-primary schools during Anti-Bullying Week in November 2023. The purpose of the flag is to acknowledge the good work that schools are already doing and will do to prevent and address bullying and to promote kindness, respect, inclusion, diversity and wellbeing. Cineáltas flags will also serve as a visible national symbol of our...

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: 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: 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: Freedom of Information (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 lists a board of management established under section 14 of the Education Act 1998 (other than a board of management of a school established or maintained by an education and training board) as an exempt agency. Therefore, such schools are exempt from the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. Schools are subject to the GDPR and Data...

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 over...

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

Helen McEntee: Following discussions between the Department and patron and principal of Belmayne Educate Together Secondary School (ETSS), it has been agreed that Belmayne Community Special School will operate within the special education needs unit in the ETSS supplemented by some modular accommodation to be retained on the site. This combined accommodation will assist in future proofing special school...

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

Helen McEntee: The major building project referred to by the Deputy has just recently completed an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b), which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents. A scope change to increase the number of classrooms and proposals from the Local Authority to alter the road and access layouts at the school site...

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. 928, 971 and 974 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...

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

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that my department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. The purpose of my department's additional schools accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where...

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

Helen McEntee: In March 2025, the department commenced a review on the current terms and conditions of the Leave of Absence following Assault Scheme for teachers and special needs assistants. This review involves negotiations with the Education Partners, whereby Management Bodies and the relevant Trade Unions are given the opportunity to provide comments and observations on the current scheme. Following...

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

Helen McEntee: Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. The Council reviewed its policy on standards for programmes of initial teacher education and published updated standards in Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in October 2020. The revised standards place inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education (ITE) programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. The professional accreditation standards for ITE were reviewed by the Teaching Council, taking account of the recommendations of Sahlberg II report (Structure of Teacher Education in Ireland: Review of Progress in Implementing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Eligibility for the state pension is determined by the Department of Social Protection and any queries in relation to same should, in general, be forwarded to that department. The person referred to by the Deputy is a former employee of St Angela’s College, now amalgamated with the Atlantic Technological University (ATU), and all queries regarding her employment, including her PRSI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 sets out the Department’s policy approach to continue the progress made in embedding digital technology in teaching and learning in primary and post-primary schools. The Strategy was published in 2022 with the delivery of actions under the associated implementation plan underway. Online safety and the safe and ethical use of digital technologies...

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

Helen McEntee: Work on the development of a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is in progress in my Department. This policy will sit within the overall framework of the 20-year Strategy for the Irish language and will build on the achievements of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education. Among the objectives for the new policy are exploring how opportunities for the establishment of...