Results 381-400 of 15,908 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I refer to the Deputy's enquiry in relation to this school (details supplied). Discussions are currently ongoing between my Department, the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), and the Public Private Partnership Company (PPP Co) in relation to assessing outline design options for additional accommodation for the school. It is expected that a decision in relation to this will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I refer to the Deputy’s enquiry concerning the above matter. My Department has six separate contracts for Public Private Partnership schools (PPPs) - 29 post primary schools and 3 primary schools. The PPP model involves the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of these schools. PPP schools are performing to a high standard in accordance with their operational contracts.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am fully cognisant of the statutory obligations that apply under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. I am satisfied that records relating to government or official business are retained in line with the requirements of the law.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "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 for the project through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) has been developed focusing on light to medium retrofit works, that can be delivered by a single appointment consultant, (for example, an Architect for fabric related works). The CASWS includes the provision of insulation in terms of attic, cavity and internal drylining. These works generally do not require a project to engage with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I know that teachers experience challenges that were not so acute for previous generations. That is why I have announced that to help teachers to gain permanent roles more quickly, we will develop a new agreement which will see teachers who have taught for one year and successfully interview for a viable post in that school the following year, immediately getting offered a permanent contract...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Officials from my Department are aware of the agreement that is in place between the parties operating on this site, that were agreed upon at a local level many years ago. The Department of Education and Youth supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and recreational purposes, where feasible, including childcare and after school uses. The decision on the use...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The main focus of my department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. I can confirm that my department is in receipt of an application, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for fabric defect works. The application in question, received 16 May 2025, is currently being reviewed by the EWS team. Once reviewed, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 May 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 (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school secretary is at the heart of the school and is the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole. The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools traditionally received assistance to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Educational Training Board (GRETB). The project is currently at stage 1 of the architectural design process. The execution of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between my Department and GRETB is complete. The Design Team for the project was appointed in April 2025, to design the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy is a campus project devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Educational Training Board (GRETB). This project was approved to proceed to tender (stage 3 of the architectural process) in February 2025. Once this stage has concluded, the project will progress onwards to construction in due course. While at this current stage, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education’s Blended Working Policy was introduced at the end of 2023 and allows staff members to make applications to work remotely for up to 3 days per week. The Department continues to accept applications from staff members to formalise their blended working arrangements and work is ongoing to promote this. Approximately 25% of staff members have formal blended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 support services the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Attendance (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the Educational Welfare Service (EWS), is under the remit of my department since 2021. The primary role of the EWS is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The data published by Tusla recently shows that in the 2022/2023 school year, over 110,000 primary and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 May 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: Departmental Equipment (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 231 and 233 together. The table below sets out the information requested by the Deputy relating to the software in use in my department. Provider Software Version HCL Technologies Lotus Notes 12.0.2 Microsoft Teams* 25094.310.3616.953. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Equipment (22 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The table below sets out the information requested by the Deputy relating to the cloud services in use in my department. Certain cloud services are excluded for security reasons. My department has previously been advised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) not to disclose details of its cyber security operations which could in any way compromise the Department’s...