Results 781-800 of 15,047 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The approach to Senior Cycle Redevelopment has, from its outset, been about collaboration, about engaging with stakeholders and partners in education, and about recognising and amplifying the student voice. I am committed to continuing that collaborative ethos as we all work together to deliver the change that our students deserve. Students and many other stakeholders and experts have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State...

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

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’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). These circulars provide for the award of incremental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for a number of categories and was last opened for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the curricula for Social, Personal and Health Education (Social, Personal and Health Education), including Relationships and Sexuality (RSE). The aim of these curricula is to help students to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, dispositions and values that will empower them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives, and to nurture respectful,...

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

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children. I am delighted to update you on the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot. Strand 1 sees direct counselling supports being provided to primary schools for the first time. The Department set up county panels of pre-approved private counsellors providing one-to-one counselling in primary schools in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department has received an application, under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme (ASA), 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: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is liaising directly with the patron of the school in question relating to the matters referred to by the Deputy. A new school building is being provided as part of a two phased development on a Department owned site for the post primary school in question. The school has already occupied the element constructed in phase one and phase two is due to be completed shortly. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is an absolute priority to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place and the Department of Education are 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both Multi or non-denominational and faith based education. Since 2011, new arrangements have been in place for the establishment of new schools involving the forecasting of demand for school places based on demographic exercises carried out by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the deputy that all applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of capacity requirements and climate action commitments. The priority of my Department continues to be the provision of required additional school places to meet demographic requirements as well as for children with special educational needs. My Department is required...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline of projects under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The project will provide for 3 mainstream classrooms, 1 technology room and preparation area, 2 science laboratories and preparation area, 1 design and communications graphics room, 1 art room, 1 multimedia room and a 2 classroom Special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Devine Mercy JNS & SNS This joint school building project will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide a 24 classroom primary school with classrooms for children with special educational needs, at both schools. The schedule of accommodation was recently increased to include SEN accommodation and the design options submitted by the Design...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. As the Deputy will know, the DEIS Programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. The DEIS programme provides a targeted range of supports, and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, is by way of expansion of existing schools, rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. New schools are only...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Transition Year programme is a valuable optional programme at Senior Cycle. It offers students opportunities for life skills, for personal, social and academic development, and to explore different pathways and gain experience of adult and working life. This year, over 60,000 students are enrolled in TY programmes representing a record level of participation. Since 2018, the number...