Results 21-40 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. As the matter raised relates to a NCSE process. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school buildings to provide a 2 classroom SEN base and to replace displaced accommodation. The project was devolved to the school for delivery. A Stage 3 Tender Report has been received and is under review in line with the Public Spending Code. Department officials are currently assessing options to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is no "Junior Cycle Coordinator" post of responsibility in place. However, to ensure that the necessary time and resources are available to implement the Junior Cycle, a number of resources continue to be made available to schools. These include:An extensive programme of CPD for school leaders and teachers;Professional time for every teacher;Additional paid hours for the coordination of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for life safety systems. 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 resources as a result of an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is currently working on a project to facilitate aggregate analysis of school accounts’ data, which will deliver greater data-informed decision making to inform financial policy and improve targeted advisory support for schools. This project will entail analysis of schools’ costs and expenditure data in tandem with data sources from other areas of the Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 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 permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works, which could...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: In 2022, in response to the war in Ukraine, my Department established REALT (Regional Education and Language Teams) to assist in enrolling children and young people who arrived from Ukraine in schools. REALT teams play a key role in supporting access to education for children and young people across their designated regions. All children and young people up to the age of 18 years,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I should explain that applications relating to the provision of funding for issues relating to an existing school building, including repairs and/or upgrades to play areas, can fall under a number of different delivery mechanisms including, most frequently, the Summer Works Scheme and the Emergency Works Scheme. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that the application for a contract of indefinite duration (CID) in relation to the teacher referred to has been processed. Correspondence confirming the entitlement to a CID with effect from 11th December 2025 has issued. It should be noted that a CID position is granted by a school only in circumstances where a viable post is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. The Minister for Education and Youth is determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. The new DEIS plan will be published this year and will include a DEIS plus scheme. The new DEIS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The primary staffing schedule is designed to operate in a clear and transparent way, ensuring that all schools are treated equally, regardless of their location. With over 3,000 primary schools across the country, it is essential that every school is treated fairly, and that this approach remains a key feature of the staffing process. Priority was given in recent Budgets to reducing the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department currently publishes these reports in accordance with the requirements set by Government. My Department will continue to comply with any central guidance on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Circulars (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: State bodies under the aegis of my department are required to fully comply with the provisions of Circular 05/2023. Procurement policy and procedures are an operational matter for state bodies under the aegis of my department. As such, state bodies under the aegis of my department have been provided with the question and have been advised to respond directly to the Deputy. Adherence to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school in question 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 a revised scope of works with an accompanying itemised cost breakdown. This has been subsequently received and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputy Ward for his question regarding my department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the particular circumstances as detailed by the deputy. In framing my answer, it may be helpful to briefly outline the work of NEPS. Through NEPS, all schools have access to:a NEPS psychologist for general support and advice.support from a NEPS psychologist in the event of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The €95 million carryover referenced in the Budget 2026 Expenditure Report, under the section Reconciliation of 2026 Expenditure Ceiling, relates to measures introduced in Budget 2025 that commence in 2025 and extend into the following year. Specifically, certain measures in Budget 2025 are aligned with the school calendar year, meaning Budget 2025 funding is allocated for the school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 501 together. Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over investment of over €180...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: The purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (14 Oct 2025)

Helen McEntee: Officials in my Department are currently collecting this information and will revert directly to the Deputy with the details requested as soon as possible.