Results 1,041-1,060 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist sin a chur. I fully support the important role Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí play in the promotion of the Irish language. We have committed very clearly in the programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish more Gaelscoileanna and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: It is clear from the statistics we have many more Irish-medium primary schools than post-primary schools. We will be conducting a survey shortly with primary schools to get a clear assessment of whether we have that figure right or whether we need to do more. I want to ensure that will feed into the possible demand and increased need for post-primary schools or Gaelcholáistí. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. There are often varied and complex reasons why a young person is not in school or needs support from an education and welfare officer. The only way we can deal with this is through everybody working together. That means the schools working with the programmes provided by the Tusla education support service. There is also an opportunity outside of school. I see a real...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Policy (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta, as an gceist sin a chur. As the Deputy rightly mentioned, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. I intend to prioritise the publication of a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. The policy, together with an action...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Policy (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. In order to inform the development of the policy, there has been a comprehensive public consultation and it is important that we get the views of all stakeholders who have a say in this. That is key to informing what we do next. One of the issues that has been raised with me regularly relates to the development of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. We need to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Policy (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am committed to ensuring that parents, students and young people have that choice. In our county of Meath, we can see the huge number of developments and, in particular, the number of Gaelscoileanna that have been built in recent years in the south of the county. We also have established Gaeltacht areas, of which we are all proud. When children go to post-primary school, I want them to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. The expansion of capacity at special schools is an important priority for me, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan and my Department. I know this is an absolute priority for the Deputy and indeed for Councillor Burgess. Both of them have raised this consistently with me. The Deputy raised it when he became a Member of the House and when I entered this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge the work and role of the educational welfare officers who work within the educational welfare service. Their key focus and objective is to ensure every child attends school regularly and receives the minimum education to which he or she is entitled to and deserves. It is a really important role, particularly given that the rate of absenteeism has increased significantly since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Welfare Service (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Regarding the 23 vacancies, 34 positions were approved only last year, so there is obviously momentum. I expect the posts to be filled within this year. The vast majority of counties have zero vacancies. My county, Meath, has zero, as do Tipperary, Wexford, Kerry, Mayo, Clare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon, Monaghan, Carlow, Longford and Leitrim. They have also their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience and is supported to reach their full potential. Key to that is making sure we have the teachers, not just at primary level but also at post-primary level, and that teaching staff in schools are qualified, engaged and supported in the work they do. As with all sectors, there are recruitment...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: On the Deputy's final question, that work is under way. I hope to see it implemented or progressed in the coming months. I am very aware that while it will not resolve matters, it is will support the provision of additional allocations or teachers. It is very important to me that we do not just support the teachers in schools but also that we have more coming through colleges. I will be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Staff (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Perhaps I should have said at the outset that teaching is an attractive career. That is reflected in the fact that there has been a significant increase in the number of people who have applied to become teachers and who have registered with the Teaching Council. The increase of 13% and 17% in both primary and post-primary allocated teaching posts reflects the fact that we committed to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I will outline the capacity that exists in that area. Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School was established for 1,000 pupils. It has 848 pupils enrolled at present. Edmund Rice College, which was established for 1,000 pupils, has 813 pupils enrolled at present. An extension planned for Castleknock Community College will provide approximately 200 additional places. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The reason that Ériu Community College is moving back is that there are 1,000 pupils moving out of the Mulhuddart-Tyrellstown area every day to attend other parts of the school. I appreciate the Deputy's point that other parts of the community are expanding and growing. The Department has to plan ahead looking at the data it has and is available. To plan for school provision, you have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: -----and finish their schooling in the area they are currently in. Of course, any issues around transport and so on have to be addressed.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I look forward to working with all colleagues, particularly in this area. I thank the Deputy for asking this question as it is an important and live issue, in particular for students who will sit the leaving certificate in the years ahead. It is for this reason that, in the last few weeks, I have met nearly all the unions and representative bodies representing teachers, principals, schools...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I think our stakeholders have outlined a number of things clearly. First, they want to ensure teachers feel appropriately trained and equipped because they want to ensure they are giving their best and students get the best outcomes. A number of training programmes have been developed and delivered already and my intention is to try to intensify that and provide even more supports and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Curriculum (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The most important thing here is that students benefit from the updated curriculums. In order to support teachers, I have asked my Department to intensify engagement. There are meetings happening on a weekly, if not biweekly, basis to ensure we look at how we can provide more and additional training, to ask if more resources need to be provided, to look at how we ensure that clear guidance...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I appreciate, particularly in areas of huge growth, how important it is to have an adequate number of schools and schools adjacent to and near where students are living. That is the most important thing. My Department has a robust forward planning process which considers population and enrolment data. When it comes to the Dublin 15 area, the...

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

Helen McEntee: My Department has identified the need for a new special school to be established in the Lucan area for the 2025/26 school year. My Department considers that this need is best met through Lucan East Educate Together National School relocating to the new school building that is nearing completion in Kishoge and for the existing school building at Lucan East to be re-purposed to facilitate...