Results 401-420 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, and 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). These circulars provide for the award of incremental...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The school transport 2030 report, which was published in early 2024, marks the largest review of the school transport scheme since it was established in 1967. We are committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendations of expanding access to the scheme in order that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030 and to continue...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank both Deputies. I acknowledge this is very stressful for many parents, families and children. It is an issue we are all dealing with. I am dealing with it in my constituency as well. I refer to where there is no particular bus route in place or where parents are looking to see how the criteria might change and how soon we can implement it. While I cannot give the Deputies all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: What I can say is we are working on things now. While I cannot set out now whether there will be changes or what possible changes might take place this year, I can say the pilots are under way and we are evaluating them. We are also looking at other potential measures that might be applied for this coming year. This must depend on the resources available. There is a very clear commitment...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am absolutely committed to working with teachers and their unions to ensure we get this right. Today, following weeks of engagement with all the unions, I invited the ASTI and the TUI to engage intensively to see what more I can do to support them. Everything I outlined here, from the training and funding that is being provided, the papers that have been outlined, the further training...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. While the provision of clinical therapy supports to children is the responsibility of the HSE, it is the Government’s ambition to make sure therapies are provided in schools. This was committed to in the programme for Government and it is to build on the work being done through the Department of Education, with a number of teams already in place within our schools...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: While I cannot give the Deputy a timeline for the doubling of places, I know it is being worked on directly by the Ministers, Deputies Lawless and Carroll MacNeill. The more quickly it can happen, the more quickly we can fill our places overall. The change on qualifications is work that has just started, so the focus and priority have been on outlining what the therapy service will look...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: This is about building capacity and the thing that has come to me most in recent weeks, when engaging with parents and children about what they want, is that they want the place that is most appropriate for them, although that can be different for every young person and student. It might be a special school, a special classroom in a mainstream school or a mainstream place with additional...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: -----it sets out timelines for the different stages and how long they should take.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: We could look at putting a system in place on the engagement that would then take place with schools when they go beyond the timeline.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: This is a commonly occurring theme. I am sorry.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Insofar as possible, where there are new builds or where schools have to be moved, the Department always attempts to keep some of the play space and to make sure it is not completely taken. The Department also ensures play areas are part and parcel of the development of new builds, be it PE halls inside the school or covered areas for children to be able to use in bad weather or if they do...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Reform of the leaving certificate senior cycle is the right thing to do. This is something that will benefit students. Nobody I have spoken to, including those who have concerns or who requested that this be delayed, has said we should not progress this, because everybody acknowledges it is the right thing to do. That is why I am committed to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is much more in train, which I will outline. A significant amount of work is already under way in that regard.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: This is not accelerated. This is something that was committed to ten years ago and it has taken until now to get to the point where it is going to start in September. Given the momentum I have mentioned, it is important we make sure it starts but that we support teachers, unions and students in making sure it happens in the best way possible and that students benefit from it. A number...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: -----they use it in the most appropriate way, and that they learn as well when they are using it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: If the Deputies want to send on individual projects, I can follow up to see at what stages they are. It is important to stress that there is record investment going into school buildings. We have 3,000 primary schools and 700 post-primary schools. The priority and focus always has to be to make sure, where additional accommodation is required, that we do this first, if an extension is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would be happy to see some of these schools with the Deputy. She touched on the importance of not forgetting that the more we invest in schools now, the less they will need later on. New summer works and a climate programme have been announced and will be rolled out. It is important to make sure we are investing in changes to the buildings themselves that will provide efficiencies but...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I look forward to working with the Deputy on this project and many others. As she knows, the Department approved the additional school accommodation project for St. Brigids School Cabinteely. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and a design team has been appointed to progress the project through the necessary architectural stages of design, statutory approvals,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are often different reasons projects are delayed. It is not always the fault of the Department but there are often design, planning or funding issues. It is important to make sure that funding is managed throughout the year. There are only so many projects that can be progressed at a certain time. The focus and priority is always where additional accommodation is needed. More than...