Results 2,261-2,280 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, Languages Connect, Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017 – 2026, aims to increase and diversify the teaching and learning of foreign languages. As part of this strategy, the Say Yes to Languages (SYTL) programme was introduced in 2021/22 in advance of the redevelopment of the Primary Language Curriculum to include foreign...

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

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for our...

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

Helen McEntee: My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have developed a jointly funded school sector decarbonisation pathfinder programme. It is administered by the Planning and Building Unit in my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in partnership with devolved delivery support from Limerick and Clare Education Training Board, and Longford and...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 770 and 771 together. 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...

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

Helen McEntee: All accommodation constructed since 2008 is A rated in general energy terms, providing a solid platform for meeting the energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets under the climate action plan. All new schools entering design process have decarbonised heating. Schools moving through design stages are being reviewed on a project-by-project basis with the aim to maximise...

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

Helen McEntee: As you are aware, the Department of Education has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. The agreement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Modern foreign languages are being introduced into our primary schools as part of the Primary Languages Curriculum. The Primary Languages Curriculum/Curaclan Teanga na Bunscoile to include Modern Foreign Languages will be launched in September 2025. Modern Foreign languages will be taught from 3rd class upwards. It will focus on developing children’s language and cultural awareness as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Modern foreign languages are being introduced into our primary schools as part of the Primary Languages Curriculum. The Primary Languages Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile to include Modern Foreign Languages will be launched in September 2025. Modern Foreign languages will be taught from 3rd class upwards. The focus will be on developing children’s language and cultural awareness...

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

Helen McEntee: Faoi mar is eol don Teachta, mar Aire, táim tiomanta do leanúint ar aghaidh le feidhmiú beartaithe Athfhorbairt na Sraithe Sinsearaí, a bhfuil sé mar chuspóir aici “cothroime agus barr feabhais do chách” a sholáthar agus a chumasóidh scoláirí chun aghaidh a thabhair ar dhúshláin an 21ú haois. Ar cheann de...

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

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department is in receipt of an application for funding from the school in question. This application for temporary accommodation is being assessed under the department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and special education needs (SEN) accommodation is...

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

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that correspondence relating to this request has been received by my Department and that a direct response will issue shortly.

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: Departmental Reviews (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’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 was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). Where a school satisfies the criteria set out in the...

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

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department is in receipt of an application for funding from the school in question. This application for temporary accommodation is being assessed under the department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and special education needs (SEN) accommodation is...

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

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. The agreement provided for...

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

Helen McEntee: The scope of repurposing works to facilitate the establishment of the new special school in Carrignavar is currently being advanced by Project Managers and their Design Team. A contractor framework is in place to facilitate commencement of works on site when the scope of works and design process have been completed. Engagement with Uisce Éireann forms part of this process and the...

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

Helen McEntee: 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 that results in the aggregate have remained the same on...

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

Helen McEntee: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the state. It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for recognition of qualifications obtained by a person...