Results 601-620 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: On special classes, as I outlined the intention is the earlier we can identify the need, the quicker we can engage with schools to make sure if there is a new build or modular building needed that can be put in place where there is room to readjust within the school. There is funding from €30,000 to €70,000 or €80,000 depending on whether there are structural or...

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

Helen McEntee: On leaving certificate reform, as the Senator said, it is really about taking the pressure off students and taking the focus away from an exam at the end of two years. There are 28 subjects which already have an additional assessment component so it is not completely new. This is about applying it to every single subject. A lot of work has been done to prepare for this. Much of the change...

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

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senator. First, in relation to the capitation grant, this is why it applies for the teacher allocation as well. The school that had the child who has moved will have already received the capitation grant so we cannot then give a second capitation. If a child starts in school A and then halfway through the school year moves to school B, school A has already received the...

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

Helen McEntee: We are continuously increasing supports and resources for schools, be they primary, secondary or special schools. Where we need to increase funding for specific curricular reform is very much part of the conversation with various unions on leaving certificate reform and how we can make sure that schools have the resources, supports and teachers to roll out the new curriculums. That, of...

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

Helen McEntee: That is okay.

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

Helen McEntee: The hot school meals are provided through the Department of Social Protection. However, whether with regard to the nutritionist who will be in place from September to look at the overall nutritional value or the roll-out more broadly, we are collaborating with the Department of Social Protection to see how it can work best. Obviously, a lot of primary schools are in older buildings and, for...

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

Helen McEntee: The first question was about the status of special and DEIS schools. It is the case that special schools get enhanced capitation, which I mentioned. There are also additional supports provided for within the school, whether for the deputy principal post or school transport.

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

Helen McEntee: This comes back to the previous question, but special schools can recruit both primary and post-primary teachers. The issue about the allowances is part of the local bargaining that will take place with all of the unions and associations over the summer to see what more can be done in that regard. There is always more we can do to support our special schools and make sure that those in...

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

Helen McEntee: Being part of the same local authority area, I know we have a really proactive and ambitious local authority and the members of it want to use every space possible to provide for the community. I also want to make sure we can provide school places. If there is a need in an area and an opportunity to purchase a site or land because of that need, then that it is obviously something that has...

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

Helen McEntee: Will the Deputy translate the last question, if that is okay?

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

Helen McEntee: In terms of Irish Sign Language, this is something the NCCA is doing work on at the moment. There are no definitive plans but it is looking at whether this can be progressed as an official part of the curriculum. Any changes around the curriculum in Irish are being worked through at the moment, but no decisions have been made overall.

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

Helen McEntee: We agree we need to ensure every child is supported, be it in a separate classroom or in mainstream. That is why we have as many SNAs and special education teachers as we do. It is so that children with different needs can be supported, whether in mainstream or otherwise. There is more work we need to do for children who do not have autism and cannot attend autism classes or special schools.

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

Helen McEntee: The reason there is not a weekly or monthly update on that is, to Deputy Cummins's point, 3,275 have been identified but a number of children separate to that have been identified within the school but are not known to the NCSE. They come into the figures as well and it changes every day depending on whether a place has been identified or otherwise. That is why we are not giving exact...

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

Helen McEntee: The Deputy raised SNAs last week in the Dáil. SNAs allocated and SNAs in the schools are different timelines. The question the Deputy asked was at a particular point in time so the allocation might have been made but the SNAs were not in the school. To clarify, at the end of 2024, there were 21,579. From this September onwards - because allocations happen throughout the year - there...

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

Helen McEntee: Reviews happen continuously throughout the year.

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

Helen McEntee: A number of circulars are going out, setting in train the new processes. It is a constant review so any circulars will show there will be reviews from September. That is the case every year so it will not be anything particularly new.

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

Helen McEntee: On youth, over €90 million has transferred over from the Department of children along with the services. I will do my best at budget time to increase that funding and also to look at the capital side of things. The Deputy mentioned spaces and it is important the organisations - Foróige, Youth Work Ireland and many others - have access to up-to-date spaces that are welcoming and...

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

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senator. I agree. I have spoken to many teachers who are already using AI, whether in a special education setting or otherwise, who say it has been helpful. As part of leaving certificate reform and the roll-out, a task force has been put in place to look at teaching, learning and assessment, specifically for leaving certificate reform but it would be helpful for other elements...

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

Helen McEntee: The co-ordinator?

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

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senator. The Department of Transport is committed to investing in the school fleet and the overall bus fleet that it has. The vast majority of our buses are Bus Éireann buses, so it is about upgrading them and making them more efficient, including more climate-efficient as well as everything else. The Department of Transport has a commitment to do that. There is also a...