Results 221-240 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: Work is currently underway in my department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. A comprehensive consultation process has been conducted to inform the policy on Irish-medium education. In excess of 5,400 questionnaires were completed; 216 children and young people and 92 adults participated in focus groups; 71 written submissions were...

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

Helen McEntee: Work is currently underway in my department to develop a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. One of the key objectives of this policy, among other things, is examining how the supply of teachers and other staff with a high standard of Irish can be increased to meet demand in Irish-medium education settings. The policy, together with an action plan, is currently...

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

Helen McEntee: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand, and also, to support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children. Work is currently underway in my department to develop a new policy on...

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

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects. The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning design process with a full grant of planning permission received for the school. The NDFA’s Design Team is presently working to conclude the...

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, is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) – Detailed Design, where the Design Team secure all statutory applications and prepare the tender documents. The Board of Management and their Design Team lodged the application for planning permission in September 2023, and received a request...

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 the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects (Project Boyne). The project received full grant of planning permission and is now at Stage 3 of the architectural planning design process - Tender stage. Tender evaluation meetings are currently ongoing as per the...

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

Helen McEntee: The Major Project for the school referred to by the Deputy consists of the demolition of the existing Senior school and the Construction of a new 12 Mainstream Classroom Primary school with 2 classrooms for children with Special Educational Needs on the Senior school's existing site. There are 6 Classrooms currently in the Junior school which are to be retained The major building project...

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

Helen McEntee: The major project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme. ADAPT is an acronym for "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning. The...

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 deliver a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and accommodation including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs. It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated...

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 deliver a new 16 classroom primary school with accommodation and 4 classrooms for children with special educational needs. It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team...

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 Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). In Quarter 2 2023, the Department approved a submission from the school authority to increase the original brief in the context of a significant increase in projected new enrolments in the area. This allowed for a project to cater for a 1,000 pupil school...

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: Child Abuse (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education takes child protection matters very seriously and considers the protection and welfare of children to be a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children. The Department of Education has no powers to investigate child protection concerns. Tusla has statutory responsibility to assess all reports of child welfare and protection...

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

Helen McEntee: Part V of the Disability Act 2005 requires that public bodies promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities for 2015 – 2024, was a cross-Government approach to addressing the barriers the employment of disabled people. It also committed the Government to progressively increase the statutory target...

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

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for roof works. The application in question is currently being reviewed by EWS team. Once the EWS team has reviewed the application it will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school...

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

Helen McEntee: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to...

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

Helen McEntee: My department publishes annual teacher statistics which can be accessed through this link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/teacher-s tatistics/

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

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. This stage involves obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed Tender documents, and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. My Department manages the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (29 Apr 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...