Results 881-900 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: Officials from my department have clarified with the deputy that he is seeking the cost of providing a Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinator and a School Completion Programme (SCP) worker to a DEIS school. Tusla Education Support Service manage the SCP programme and the HSCL scheme on behalf of my department. Access to the SCP programme and the HSCL scheme is provided to all DEIS...

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: Special Educational Needs (29 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, all public bodies have responsibility to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment and protect the human rights of staff and service users. This is a legal obligation, called the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, and it is provided for in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014. Alongside the...

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

Helen McEntee: My department’s procurement practices are designed to adhere to the Office of Government Procurement’s (OGP) “Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services” which contain considerable guidance on the importance of Strategic Procurement which encourages public bodies to take account of Social, Innovation and Environmental Considerations in its procurements....

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

Helen McEntee: [Attachment omitted]

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

Helen McEntee: The provision of sports halls is part of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls/Sports Gyms, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. Almost 95% of the post primary schools that made 2020 Annual Schools Returns have indicated to the Department that they...

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

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide a two classroom special educational needs base and one special education tuition room. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority. A Stage 2b architectural report was received by my department and is currently undergoing an intensive review from both a...

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

Helen McEntee: The school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department of Education and Youths’ Construction Programme. The brief for the project is the delivery of a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and accommodation including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs, as part of a shared educational campus in Whitehall. The project will be...

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

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine. Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving...

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Taxes Consolidation (Development of Regional Film Industry) (Amendment) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Occupying Power (Securities and Handling of Settlement Goods) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: To the Deputy's final point, my Department is engaging with the schools in the area to make sure that every child has a place. This has to happen in every area, particularly where there is a population increase. We are actively engaged in the area. If there is a need to work more closely with the Tusla education support service for schools, and in particular for students, that will happen....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I will give an example. For a 100-pupil primary school, €4,533 is allocated. For a 500-pupil school, the amount is €14,665. For a post-primary, there is a basic grant of €2,000 plus €30.40 per mainstream student. It is not the intention that schools will be buying iPads every year or that every student will need to use them at every stage of the school day. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: We have dedicated support and funding for schools, with a commitment for €200 million over the lifetime of the strategy. Through the NDP and the next strategy, we will commit even more funding. Some €325 million has been invested specifically to provide technology in our schools, recognising that is how things are going and that technology is a really positive part of how...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Transition year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities to develop future life skills for personal, social and academic development and to experience other aspects of adult and working life. Transition year can bring a unique and important value in the life of students. Each school designs its own transition year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I fully support what the Deputy is suggesting, in that we provide students with life skills. These are skills that we all need at certain stages, whether moving into our own home, setting up a new business or exploring different opportunities. Transition year, in a way unlike the rest of the curriculum, is a real opportunity to be able to explore those different avenues. There is a set...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: First, in terms of driver theory but, more broadly, road safety, it is something we really have to focus in on for transition year. Last October, there was collaboration between my Department and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, where they developed a specific programme, Road Safety Matters. It was launched to help students become safer road users. The programme, which has been developed by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the board of management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. It is very much open to the schools to decide how they adopt and change. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community, including parents, when planning any introduction of digital...