Results 421-440 of 15,908 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA) is provided by the Department to assist in the delivery of a psychological service to all schools. The scheme provides funding to schools to commission individual psychological assessments for students from psychologists working in a private capacity. The costs are met by the Department. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department's Building Regulations offer clear guidance on the provision of accessible facilities. This guidance stipulates that where sanitary facilities are provided, they should either be universally accessible or, alternatively, specific universally accessible facilities must also be included. The relevant guidance document, Technical Guidance Document (TGD) Part M, was introduced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Policy (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice. This approach is founded on research and best international practice in relation to how schools can best support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of all children including those who may have experienced trauma. A dedicated wellbeing portal can be accessed via ‘Wellbeing in Education’ on Gov.ie, bringing together all the wellbeing and mental health supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I know that teachers experience challenges that were not so acute for previous generations, including casualisation within the teaching profession. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1350 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my department currently does not have a prefab replacement programme in place for primary schools and as such no waiting list exists. My department is taking an integrated approach through the replacement of prefabs as part of large-scale and devolved projects or as part of new projects approved under the Additional Accommodation Scheme. This integrated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The 2015 Framework for Junior Cycle aims to support the provision of quality, inclusive and relevant education which meets the needs of Junior Cycle students, now and in the future. Programme design is guided by eight underpinning principles, twenty-four statements of learning and the eight key skills of Junior Cycle. Digital literacy features across the Framework and is evident in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 planning. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: In early February, details were announced of the final phase of the free schoolbooks scheme - the extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, students. For the first time, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme will be provided with schoolbooks and core classroom resources for the 2025/26...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am aware of the publication of the TIMMS results last December, which show that Ireland's fourth class and second year students were significantly above the international average. This level of performance has remained stable over the last three cycles of TIMMS despite the interruptions to learning caused by Covid-19 school closures. These performances reflect the hard work of our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (20 May 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. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, I recently announced details in respect of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) 2026 onwards. The purpose of the CASWS is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 May 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Agreement is in place to acquire this primary school site, officials in my department are in discussions with the current owner of the site to finalise the transfer of the ownership of the site to the Minister. You will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Program to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Safety (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that enquiries relating to phone masts on lands which are not in the ownership of my Department are more appropriate to the local planning authority. Therefore, enquiries regarding these issues should be made with the local planning authority, who would deal with planning and development.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I gClár an Rialtais 2025, Todhchaí na hÉireann a Áirithiú, cuirtear de cheangal ar an rialtas an Ghaeilge a chosaint agus a chur chun cinn. Leanfaidh an Rialtas le bearta spriocdhírithe a chur i bhfeidhm chun úsáid na teanga a spreagadh. Mar is eol don Teachta maidir le hiarrthóirí atá ag déanamh scrúduithe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: This Government is fully 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. This remains a top priority. As with other sectors, recruitment challenges exist in some schools. To address teacher supply issues, my Department has implemented several measures that have led to:an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (20 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education and Youth, I am very conscious of the need to ensure our schools are supported enabling them to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for all students. It is vitally important that our education system is one in which every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. The School Completion Programme...