Results 821-840 of 17,382 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers, was approved funding as a large-scale capital project. It is devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB). I am pleased to advise that the project is currently at stage 2b of the architectural design process (developed design). At this stage the design team will obtain the statutory planning approvals, prepare a set...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers to was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school building projects under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide a 4 Classroom SEN base and 2 SET classrooms. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. In March 2025, my department wrote to the school confirming that funding would not be provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as school patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic school patrons, that an educational landscape is needed which more accurately reflects the reality of our increasingly diverse society and meets the expectations parents have for their children. The Programme for Government commits to seeking to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide a 4 classroom SEN Base. The project was devolved to the school for delivery. I can confirm that this project received my departments approval to proceed to Stage 2b (developed design) in July 2024, and my department now awaits a post planning report to include...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ba cheart don Teachta  thabhairt faoi deara nach bhfuil i dtéacsleabhair ach ceann amháin den réimse leathan acmhainn agus táirgí oideachais, idir ábhar clóite, digiteach nó ar líne, a úsáidtear i scoileanna. Is é an t-aon riachtanas atá ag mo Roinn, maidir le hacmhainn ar bith a úsáidtear i scoil,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to achieve their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The development of digital skills and literacy must start from a young age. The Department of Education’s response to the provision of digital skills and literacy within early childhood and care and school settings includes: Curriculum at all levels. Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027. STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026. Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department takes child protection very seriously and considers that the protection and welfare of children is a fundamental responsibility of all involved in the care and education of children. Since the introduction of a revised primary school curriculum in 1970 and the total prohibition of use of corporal punishment from 1 February 1982, child protection requirements and procedures in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: - My Department recognises the vitally important role of secretaries and caretakers within school communities, as a key link between students, school leaders and other staff, ensuring that the core needs of the school are met. - Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries. This happened on foot of an Agreement reached...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: An Teanga Gaeilge (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ba mhian liom cur in iúl don Teachta gurb é seo a leanas líon na ndíolúintí ó staidéar na Gaeilge a ceadaíodh ag leibhéal na hiar-bhunscoile le blianta beaga anuas: - Díolúintí ceadaithe ag an iar-bhunleibhéal Rollacháin ag an iar-bhunleibhéal Díolúintí ceadaithe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sports Facilities (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to reassure the Deputy that it has always been the intention that the area in question will be available for use by all three schools. Given the nature of the site, a flooding specialist was procured as part of the planning process for this campus project and a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA), Maintenance Plan and Flood Response Plan were provided. The area will be subject to ponding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language, the Department of Education and Youth is committed to improving the teaching and learning of Irish in primary and post-primary schools. The department invests strongly in Irish and continues to support Irish in a wide range of ways across areas such as Initial Teacher Education, Teacher Professional Learning, Curriculum and Assessment and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is investing a record €11.8 billion into education and schools through Budget 2025. This record level of investment has allowed the Government to invest in tackling educational disadvantage and supporting those with special educational needs to achieve their full potential. It has enabled huge investment in the school buildings programme, in curriculum reform, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 150 together. Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools with recent analysis of payroll data showing over 79,000 teachers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the schools referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post primary school with accommodation and 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs and a new 8 classroom primary school with accommodation and 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs at Ballincollig, which will be delivered as part of a shared educational...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The number of children attending Irish-medium primary and post-primary schools within and outside of the Gaeltacht, between the academic years 2021/22 and 2023/24, can be found outlined in the table below. Academic Year 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Outside of the Gaeltacht Gaeltacht Outside of the Gaeltacht ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question has accepted a brief for a permanent building project consisting of 4 mainstream general classrooms, 3 special educational tuition rooms and 2 special education classrooms under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of my department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the number of exemptions from the study of Irish granted at post primary level in recent years is as follows: Year Exemptions granted at PP level Enrolments at PP level Granted as % of overall PP enrolment 2018/19 10,538 362,899 2.9% 2019/20 12,057 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (17 Jul 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. Over 1,400 Large Scale, Additional Accommodation and Modular school building projects have been completed between 2020 and to date in 2025. Since 2020, my Department has invested over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government includes commitments to expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand, and to support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children. Work is currently underway in my department on the development of a new policy on Irish-medium...