Results 921-940 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The following table shows the number of schools by county offering Physical Education Leaving Certificate exam subject in 2023-24. This is the latest available subject data, but we expect that data for 2024-25 will be available in June 2025. - 2023 Subject: Physical Education (LC Exam) County Count Unique Ed Orgs ...

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

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that ESD to 2030, Ireland's 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development, aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills required to promote sustainable development, in line with Sustainable Development Goals target 4.7. The Department of Education has delivered funding to schools and organisations to support ESD projects with most...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are no functions, roles and services that were previously carried out and delivered by staff of my Department that have been contracted out to the private sector since the implementation of the Building Momentum public service agreement.

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

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for External Environment works. The application in question is currently being reviewed by the technical area within the EWS. Once a technical recommendation has been received back from the technical team, the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the recently announced Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. I recently announced details in respect of the Climate Action...

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

Helen McEntee: The Department acknowledges that homework can play an important part in helping students to prepare for forthcoming classwork and in reinforcing work already covered during class time, however, it is a matter for each school, at local level, to arrive at its own homework policy which best serves the school community. All policies and decisions regarding homework are school based where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: Providing inclusive education to children with special educational needs is a fundamental principle of the education system. This principle is observed through Department policies, Teaching Council requirements for initial teacher education (ITE), curriculum provision and the range of supports provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Oide. Inclusive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Defective Building Materials (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for a fabric defect project works, relating to testing and remediation of mica related issues with the school building. The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of...

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

Helen McEntee: My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (19 Mar 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for primary teachers, 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). Circular 29/2007 is the relevant circular regarding the application that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (19 Mar 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 daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 763 to 766, inclusive, together. The Furniture and Equipment (F&E) team within my Department deals with the administration of the sensory room start-up grant. In order to be eligible for this grant, the school must demonstrate it has an NCSE-approved ASD class and that there is a suitable room to house the sensory room (i.e. drawings of the school...

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

Helen McEntee: In accordance with the Education Act 1998, schools are managed by Boards of Management on behalf of the relevant school patrons. Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron. All schools must publish their admissions policy on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that...

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...