Results 581-600 of 16,182 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together. The Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families. The Programme for Government acknowledges that education should be inclusive of all students, recognising that particular students may need particular supports. It commits...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 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: School Funding (28 May 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: School Funding (28 May 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: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department recognises the importance of the Minor Works Grant to primary schools. The Minor Works Grant is provided to all primary and special schools, to enable them undertake small-scale minor maintenance and improvement works on a devolved basis.   Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was given that the Minor Works Grant would be paid in either December or January of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department has committed considerable resources towards the restoration of guidance counselling hours to post-primary schools, to the provision of CPD for guidance counsellors and to the provision of a national guidance counselling supervision service for post-primary guidance counsellors in recent times. The guidance allocation is provided separately and transparently on each...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department’s data for schools under the Free Education Scheme 2023-2024 indicates there are 558,143 learners in recognised primary and special schools and 406,392 students in post-primary schools. Based on these preliminary figures, the cost of restoring the school libraries fund by €10 per student in academic year 2024-2025, would be as follows: Number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and it's associated implementation plan is underpinned by funding of €200m over the course of the strategy, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The funding allocation model is provided for in the National Development Plan and commits to funding to issue over the period of the NDP, applied by the Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and it's associated implementation plan is underpinned by funding of €200m over the course of the strategy, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The funding allocation model is provided for in the National Development Plan and commits to funding to issue over the period of the NDP, applied by the Department for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together. At primary level, teachers are allocated to schools at an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. DEIS Urban Band 1 schools receive an average allocation of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.  The current pupil teacher ratio at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Gross expenditure incurred by my Department last year on fee-charging schools was €144.8m.  This includes salaries for teachers and special needs assistants of €142.9m for the 2023/24 school year and capital supports (building-related and ICT grants) of €1.9m in 2024. The allocation of teachers in fee-charging schools is outlined in Circular 0006/2025: Staffing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department has different models of funding to meet the needs of the different types of school. In the ETB sector, financial allocations are made to ETBs as part of a block grant. ETBs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this grant and each is allowed to distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and needs, including to schools under its...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (28 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education and Youth’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). Unfortunately, the detailed information...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (28 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. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school secretary is at the heart of the school and they are 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. Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am aware from Standardised Testing in English Reading and Mathematics in the Irish Primary School: A Survey of Irish Primary Teachers (May 2019) that ‘receiving grinds prior to standardised testing was reported to be a reality in Irish primary schools, albeit at a relatively low incidence’. This suggests that, for some parents, there remains a high level of concern about...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the statutory 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; to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education. Educational Welfare Officers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education and Youth is committed to providing schools at both primary and post-primary level with as much detail regarding grants, grant amounts and expected payment timeframes for each academic year in as far in advance as is practicable. For the 2025/26 academic year, officials in the Department are currently considering the presentation of schedules for grants that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is fully supportive and remains committed to the opening of a Gaelcholáiste at the school referred to by the Deputy. It will meet the growing demand for a co-educational Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 area. My Department is currently working with the school patron to ensure the successful transition of the school to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (27 May 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 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). The circulars provide for the award of incremental credit in respect...