Results 581-600 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for her questions. She is correct that the focus has really been on primary school places and ensuring we have that provision in place. The focus now needs not to move away from primary schools but to broaden ensure there is an enhanced focus on our secondary schools. This is why we are focused on targeting four classrooms per secondary school, which would include Athboy...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Work is under way to examine how we best implement the recommendations of that review. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, has designation for this but, obviously, we are working together in the Department. Regarding the scheme, we have given a commitment to increase the numbers by 100,000. It is currently at 173,000. We do that by expanding the criteria that have been set at...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: It depends on the number of students. There is a cut-off point. If that number is passed, the principal is entitled to a deputy principal or to become an administrative principal as opposed to a working principal. There is a structure and a system in which one can apply. Any changes would mean there would have to be a budgetary process, because by moving principals, we are potentially...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Regarding the phone ban, for the most part we all agree on it, particularly in primary schools. It is not the case every child brings a phone into school but we are seeing younger and younger children with phones and on social media apps. There are implications that can arise from that but they are also distracting in schools. Regarding a legislative ban, it would be about implementing it....

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: With regard to the mild special schools, we are continuing to build special schools. There are five new ones this year, one each in Monaghan, Waterford and Cork and two in Dublin, and 16 have been built in recent years. It is not that we are saying we have what we have and we need to move it around. We need to continue to build special schools as well as special classes in the mainstream....

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are a number of approaches being taken at the moment to try to support teachers at primary and post-primary and, in particular, new and innovative ways in which technology is helping. There are the new gteic hubs where principals, through the medium of Irish, are able to teach certain subjects to other schools, including the one they are in, using video technology and otherwise. That...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: We need to look at everything as part of the process.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge there is a commitment by the Government to continue to increase the capitation grant. I appreciate that the point we are at is above where we were a number of years ago, but with inflation we need to keep increasing that. I am absolutely committed, as is the Government, to doing that. It is about increasing the capitation grant, making sure schools get the minor works grant...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The 92% is for primary and post-primary schools. Special schools are somewhat different. On average between the two, outside Dublin - I said last week that Dublin is a more complex area - there are pathways for every child. While some children might not have got a place, the enrolment process is-----

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: That is changing every day.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is changing every day. Work is under way at the moment.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: What I am saying is that 92% have an offer or a clear pathway for where they are going. A huge amount of work has been done to make sure the admissions process----- The Deputy should please let me finish my answer. A huge amount of work has been done to make sure the admissions processes are opened up.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: What I am saying is that 92% of students from primary and post-primary level have identified or have been given a place. It is a slightly lower number for special schools. That is being worked through at the moment and it is changing every day. The figure I might give now would be different from yesterday's figure. Even today, children are being allocated places. Today, enrolment...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is changing every day. I am saying as of today, approximately 92%, between primary and post-primary, where places have been offered and where we are working those through. For special schools, particularly in Dublin, it is a much more challenging situation.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: What I can say on breakdowns for different counties, is that in Tipperary zero places remain for primary, post-primary or special schools. The same applies in Kerry and Limerick, Clare-----

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can go through the different breakdowns, but it is different in every county

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Yes, in the counties I mentioned. It is different in every county and that is why when the Deputy asks for a figure, it is different in every county and in-----

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I brought an update to the Cabinet two weeks ago. I intend to bring an update in July because of the timeline between now and July. There are 11 schools, for example, that just opened their enrolment policies, so that will allow us to see the huge amount of progress that will be made between now and then.

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: There will be a mixture. The NCSE is working with schools every week and engaging with families every week. As things change, it is updating parents. Approximately 80% of the 399 new school places that have been sanctioned will be in schools where there is repurposing, that is, classrooms that have not been used and classrooms that have been used for something else. There is a grant of...

Committee on Education and Youth: Engagement with Minister for Education and Youth (18 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I do not see why not. Yes.