Results 361-380 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Based on stakeholder engagement, the NCCA have published a document on Conducive Conditions intended to support and guide curriculum change. These include timing and pacing, resourcing, communications, stakeholder engagement and so on. It is a valuable support document which my officials are considering and working through. These conditions are: • Timing and pacing –...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) provides me with advice on matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools. The Council also advises on assessment procedures used in schools, including examinations as part of the curriculum. The last two decades have seen considerable evolution of NCCA’s curriculum review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The general average of pupils to teachers in the Primary Staffing Schedule improved from 26 : 1 five years ago to 23 : 1 for the current school year, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. Teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools have also been improved and now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. In addition, there...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The estimated cost of increasing the primary school capitation grant by €75 per pupil from €224 to €299 for the period 1 September to 31 December would be an additional 13.4 million. The estimated additional cost of maintaining such an increase for a full year, from 1 January to 31 December 2027 would be a further 26.6 million. The Government is committed to increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports. The Government is very aware that small schools are an important part of the life of local communities. The current small schools' action research project established in 2021 is due to conclude at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: This Government is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. Like many sectors, recruitment challenges exist in the education sector, especially in urban areas. While most teaching positions are filled, some schools face acute recruitment challenges. The recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (30 Sep 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 school referred to by the Deputy had its staffing reduced by one teacher in the current school year due to a drop in enrolments, whereby the school had 23 less pupils than the previous...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for a toilet facilities project. As the Deputy maybe aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502, 503 and 504 together. My Department has not received proposals such as those referred to by the Deputy. I can advise the Deputy that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The brief for the school referred to by the Deputy is for the construction of a new extension and the refurbishment of existing facilities to accommodate 1,000 pupils, including provision for Special Educational Needs (SEN) classrooms. More than four years has elapsed since the publication of the contract notice and more than two years since the tender submission deadline. Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2014, my Department has provided annual funding to Music Generation to support the provision of performance music education to children and young people. Music Generation is a national programme that aims to transform the lives of children and young people through access to high quality performance music education in their locality. It is established as a Designated Activity Company and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The decision-making authority for a school closure is the Patron of that school. Any proposed closure involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers and local communities. The school currently has seven pupils enrolled and there are no plans for closure in this school year. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: In order to assist with the enrolment of children without a school place, my department shares information on available capacity with the Education Welfare Service (EWS), which operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation, and retention. Officials from my department continue to liaise with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government includes commitments to expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand, and to support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children. By way of general information, the amount of capital investment by my Department between 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to work towards the alignment of the school curricula at the different levels with the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). The CEFR provides an internationally recognised framework for language learning. In line with this commitment, the Department of Education and Youth plans to work towards aligning Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that a major project to provide for the development of a new 24 classroom school with Special Education Needs classes for the amalgamated school in the town referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2a (developed design) of architectural planning. Pending provision of this new school building, the already amalgamated school is continuing to use its existing two school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (25 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together. The department is dedicated to enhancing the delivery and development of youth work services, including the service in question, and opportunities for young people across the country. Arising from Budget 2025, over €88 million has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy were approved a project under the Additional Accommodation Scheme to deliver a 3 Classroom SEN Base. This project has been devolved for delivery to the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB). The Department approved this project to planning (Stage 2b) in May 2024. Recently the department has contacted officials within the delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system,...