Results 621-640 of 15,028 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (RIRS) was established in 2002 to provide fair and reasonable awards of redress to individuals who, as children, suffered abuse while resident in a range of institutions, including the institution referred to by the Deputy. The scheme, which was administered by the Residential Institutions Redress Board, had an original closing date of 31st...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. The service is divided into six geographical areas and Dublin Mid West is part of Region 1. There are currently 235 whole time equivalent psychologists providing a service across the country. 33 psychologists are currently employed in Region 1. NEPS...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department continue to review and follow guidance issued by the National Cyber Security Centre, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform on the use of Artificial Intelligence. A proof of concept to examine if AI technologies could support Departmental staff in responding to customer queries was completed. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank the Deputy for his enquiry concerning the use of a building located in County Tipperary for special education needs. As the Deputy has highlighted the building is currently in use for education purposes. All buildings at the location referenced by the Deputy have future planned uses ascribed to them. The information below outlines my Department's policy and actions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB). The project brief includes the provision of a new extension and refurbishment of an existing building. The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process, which allows for detailed design/planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five routes of registration: Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (6 Mar 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.My Department regularly consults with key stakeholders to address critical issues like teacher supply. Further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce are being considered. The Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that funding is available to all schools for projects that support the implementation of our 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development - ESD to 2030. ESD aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development (SDG 4.7). ESD encompasses the three strands of Sustainable Development: Social...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Please find attached requested data, a list of primary, special and post-primary schools located in the constituency of Dublin South Central.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department provides funding for a number of alternative education settings, operating outside of the recognised school system, that provide education to children and young people who have dropped out of mainstream education. These settings are listed in Table 1 below. Alternative education settings vary in structure and design but provide an important service for a small cohort of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is fully supportive and remains committed to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin south city area. My Department is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) to ensure there is continued and clear engagement with the school in question on the successful transition to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is fully supportive and remains committed to the establishment of a Gaelcholáiste in the Dublin south city area. My Department is currently working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST) to ensure there is continued and clear engagement with the school in question on the successful transition to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis from September 2026....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together. The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Citizens' Assembly (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The establishment of Citizens’ Assemblies are the subject of a Government decision and resolutions of the Dáil and Seanad at the appropriate time. There is however a commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future to hold a convention bringing together all stakeholders in education. I am liaising with officials from my department in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Issues (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, aims to better protect employees against discrimination in an appropriate and balanced way, while respecting religious freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. The amended Section 37 draws a distinction between religious institutions that are entirely privately funded and those which are funded by the taxpayer. The rationale...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Please find attached requested data. Data provided is for mainstream pupils enrolled in Junior Infants in schools located in County Clare. Please note that standard data for academic year 2024-2025 will be available when final enrolments are published. We expect to publish final data in June 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) advise the Minister for Education on curriculum and assessment in relation to early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools. This advice is shaped by feedback from consultations with the public, schools and early childhood settings, education interests and other stakeholders. The NCCA is in the process of redeveloping...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Planning Issues (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places are 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: School Enrolments (6 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is an absolute priority to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place and my Department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case. Enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Since 2020, my department has invested...