Results 821-840 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (29 Jul 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: Departmental Funding (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1206 and 1207 together. I propose to take PQs 43182/25 and 43164/25 together. My department and the bodies under its aegis do not operate any capital funding programmes or grants for which community organisations are eligible to apply.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers and special needs assistants (SNA) available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. My Department has been steadily building on the number of special education teacher and special needs assistant (SNA) posts in our education system. At the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education and Youth is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children. In 2023 the establishment of a €5m pilot programme of counselling and mental health supports for primary schools was announced. In Budget 2025, the pilot received additional funding. Strand 1 is the provision of one-to-one counselling to support small numbers of children in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying, my department’s whole education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools was published on 1 December 2022. An implementation plan for Cineáltas was published on 10 April 2023 and commits to implementing the 61 actions contained in Cineáltas within a five-year period (2023-2027). An Implementation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am committed to the continued implementation of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme. The Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme encompasses Leaving Certificate Established (LCE), the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP), the Transition Year (TY) Programme, and the introduction of Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The primary staffing arrangements for the 2025/26 school year are set out in Circular 0011/2025. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector and was published in September 2024. The purpose of the strategy is to provide a platform for an effective, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services. The implementation of the strategy will be reported on via the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government has approved the establishment of a Commission of Investigation to examine and report on the handling of historical child sexual abuse in day and boarding schools. The Commission is independent in its operation and, when it is ready to begin its engagement with survivors of child sexual abuse in schools, this will be widely advertised. The Inter Departmental Group (IDG)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision-making authority for any change of status is the patron/trustees of the schools concerned and it is open to any patron to submit proposals to the Department for consideration. Any proposed change involves extensive consultation at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Work Projects (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2026 will be considered by Government in the context of the annual estimates process. As this is ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage. However, I would like to note that we hope to build on the progress made in Budget 2025, ensuring continued support for key priorities and developments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the deputy will be aware, my department is constantly reviewing demographics areas to analyse further accommodation requirements or projects that need to be added to our building programme. My department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (GIS), using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is 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: Youth Work Supports (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2026 will be considered by Government in the context of the annual estimates process. As this is ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage. However, I would like to note that we hope to build on the progress made in Budget 2025, ensuring continued support for key priorities and developments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Large-Scale Capital Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department’s School Building Programme. The project brief is for the construction of a new extension and the refurbishment of existing facilities is to accommodate 1,000 pupils, with accommodation and classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project is currently at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the design stages of architectural planning to Tender and Construction. The joint...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: A major building project to provide a permanent school building for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently being delivered under the Department’s Design and Build Programme . The new school building will provide a new 16 classroom primary school and accommodation including 4 classrooms for children with special education needs, on the permanent site off Coolamber Drive,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. The Government has now concluded the review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (29 Jul 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. 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 to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staffing of the Department of Education and Youth was 2037.66 as at the end of April 2025. The grade breakdown is detailed below: Grade FTE Secretary General 1.00 Assistant Secretary 9.00 Principal Officer 54.70 Assistant Principal Officer ...