Results 521-540 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy arises from a meeting held on 27 August between officials from my Department and the individuals concerned. The issues raised in that meeting are currently being considered by my Department and there will be further engagement in that regard in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity of access to education that empowers them to thrive and realise their full potential. In 2024, the free Schoolbooks Scheme was expanded from primary schools and rolled out to all children and young people enrolled in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Valuation Act 2001, schedule 4, "Relevant Property Not Rateable" my department, the Department of Education and Youth, is exempt from commercial rates on all properties under the ownership of the department. A complete list of department owned schools is attached. The department do not keep a record of the property that is under the ownership of agencies and state bodies under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education, I want to ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity of access to education that empowers them to thrive and realise their full potential. From the start of the 2025/26 school year, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 956 and 957 together. By way of background, it might be helpful if I explained the role my department plays in terms of the payroll service it provides to schools. My department provides a payroll service to over 3,700 schools. The school and its Board of Management remain the employer of teachers. There are a variety of teaching employment types...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Appointments Service (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In accordance with Department Circulars 0044/2019, 17/2008 and 31/2011, which were agreed between the Department of Education and Youth and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the deputy will provide a new 600 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including classrooms for children with special educational needs. This project, which has planning permission, has been assigned to my Departments Design & Build delivery programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department has received an application, under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme, from the school authority in question. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process. This stage involves obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed Tender documents, and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. Since 2020 over €6...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 963 and 964 together. Entry Year Leaving Certificate Year Entry Cohort Sat Junior Certificate Sat Leaving Certificate Sat JC but no LC % of entry cohort % of JC sitters % of LC sitters 2013 2019 59,524 58,051 54,265 3,786 6.4 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (8 Sep 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: Education and Training Provision (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, the Free Fees Initiative is an administrative scheme of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science for all approved courses, with the exception of Marino Institute of Education primary initial teacher education programmes, which are funded through the Higher Education Authority. My Department directly provides capitation, free fees and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is part of a campus project assigned to my Department’s Design and Build programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. This campus project will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: In June of this year the Department issued a circular to post-primary schools (circular 0045/2025) informing them that they are required to implement a policy to restrict the use of, and access to, personal mobile phones by students for the duration of the school day. This policy is intended to support schools in improving the learning environment in schools by reducing distraction, reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Recognising the vitally important role of secretaries and caretakers within school communities, my officials have been working intensively with stakeholders and with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to establish a platform for meaningful discussion and resolution. On Friday 5th September, following constructive engagement under the auspices of the WRC, the parties have agreed to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB). It is part of a campus project. The project brief is for the construction of two new multi-storey school buildings for new post primary schools for Coláiste Pobail Osraí and Kilkenny City Vocational School. The project is currently at Stage 2b of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (8 Sep 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: School Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: A member of my staff has been in contact with the individual concerned and correspondence has been issued outlining the overpayment details and the reduced recoupment.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide 1 mainstream classroom and a 2 classroom SEN base. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. A Stage 2b Report (post planning) was received in April 2025. Project costs have increased significantly, and as a result the project remains under careful review...