Results 281-300 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for external environment works. The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation and, on this basis, the school was advised to submit further documentation and clarifications. Once this has been received the EWS team will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my department received an application in 2018 under the Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) scheme for funding for the provision of eighteen special education classrooms. In this regard my department approved the provision of modular accommodation of four classrooms for the school in question to cater for their immediate needs. This project is complete. I can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Jul 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 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 team is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I recently announced €35 million in funding to support digital learning in schools. €35 million in grant funding for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. Through the ICT Grant, and the Minor Works grant schemes, schools are directly funded for their ICT infrastructure. Schools have autonomy to determine...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together. It should also be noted that under the Education Act, the Boards of Management of Schools have responsibility for the day to day management of schools. Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of each school in the context of their digital learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question has submitted an application for capital funding, under my department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, for an additional mainstream classroom, a special education tuition room and a special education classroom. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: From the outset, the Department wishes to extend its deepest sympathy to the person named. The provisions of the Bereavement Leave Scheme for teachers are outlined in the department’s Circular 0078/2022, which states: 2.2 Bereavement Leave must be availed of at the time of the bereavement, to facilitate the teacher with time off from work. And: 2.6 Where a teacher is already...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Public Service Agreement (PSA) 2024-2026 provides for a local bargaining provision where employers and trade unions/associations may negotiate additional changes in rates of pay and/or conditions of employment. In terms of the possible reintroduction of this allowance, this is one of the matters that may come under consideration under the local bargaining provision of the PSA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education and Youth uses an allocation model to decide how to distribute special education teachers across mainstream schools. Every school in the country receives an allocation of additional special education teaching hours per week based on the level of need. The key principle that underpins the special education teacher model is that the child with the greatest level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The survey and associated cost of reviewing the condition of the current school estate including accommodation for science laboratories will be considered in the context of the outcome of the ongoing Energy and Condition survey on schools and my Department's NDP allocation. The Department can identify opportunities to transform existing schools and the plan for a future wider rollout in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank Deputy O'Rourke for his question regarding my department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). It may be helpful to first outline the work of the service. NEPS provides educational psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. NEPS provides all schools with:psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident,a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The provision of a sensory room, at primary and post primary level respectively, form part of a suite of ancillary facilities such as a central activities space, multi activity room, as well as outdoor soft play areas, provided as part of new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school which includes provision for special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy of government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department is investing over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Capitation grant funding calculation is based on the total enrolment in the school as at September of the school year multiplied by the current rate. Capitation funding for voluntary secondary schools is currently €345 per student but will increase to €386 from September 2025. The amalgamation should have no impact on the capitation funding due to the new school. Voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices when faced with a range of difficult issues, including drugs, alcohol and gambling. This is mainly done through the SPHE programme. SPHE forms part of the mandatory Wellbeing area of learning at Junior Cycle. Wellbeing in Junior Cycle is about young people...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available The information being sought will be collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy once available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together. Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the deputy refers was granted approval for the provision of one special educational needs classroom under my Department's Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme 2024. This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (3 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department and operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance,...