Results 1,101-1,120 of 15,061 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Schools PV Programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on their roofs, which equates to approximately 14 solar panels. The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The procurement of IT external services is essential to support my Department in providing a high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by regulatory, legal and procedural frameworks. Where required, external service providers are engaged for a fixed period following procurement exercises conducted in accordance with Departmental procedures...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my department. TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department is taking a progressive, sequenced approach to developing a comprehensive policy for the Irish language from early years education to teacher education. As it relates to the Department of Education, there are three strands to this work: the Policy on Gaeltacht Education; the policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht; and the development of an action plan to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2011, arrangements have been in place for the establishment of new schools involving the forecasting of demand for school places based on demographic exercises carried out by my department. New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth, as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to ensure that every child has a school place. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is one Minister of State attached to my department, Mr. Michael Moynihan T.D., who was appointed as the Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, on the 29th of January 2025. The effect of a Delegation Order will be to delegate certain powers and duties of the Minister for Education and Youth under the Education Act, 1998, Education (Provision in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Feb 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: Schools Building Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since 2020, my department has invested over €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The patron of the school determines the ethos and characteristic spirit of the school. The patron also appoints the Board of Management to manage the operation of the school. The development and implementation of the curriculum in religious instruction in both primary and post-primary schools is the responsibility of the patron. The Education Act recognises the rights of the different patrons...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Certificate of Religious Education is required as a condition of employment in catholic schools and as an employment matter is not within my Department’s remit. Some of the Higher Education Institutions offer an optional Certificate in Religion programme, which is separate to the Bachelor of Education. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equal Opportunities Employment (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, aims to better protect employees against discrimination in an appropriate and balanced way, while respecting religious freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. The amended Section 37 draws a distinction between religious institutions that are entirely privately funded and those which are funded by the taxpayer. The rationale...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Equipment (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education’s approach on good ventilation in schools, as part of a layered strategy of protective measures to control the spread of the virus, remains fully consistent with the Expert Group recommendations on good practices, the use of portable CO2 monitors, which can provide a useful general indication that areas/ rooms may not be adequately ventilated, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (11 Feb 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 to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. this figure includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education (ITE) programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. The Council reviewed its policy on standards for programmes of ITE and published updated standards in Céim Standards for ITE in October 2020. Céim includes seven Core Elements which underpin all aspects of programmes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision making authority for a change of status to coeducation is the patron/trustees of the schools, subject to the approval of my Department. Local consultation regarding potential change of status to coeducation is encouraged and supported by the Department but it is the responsibility of the patrons to undertake any consultation that they deem...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently based in temporary modular accommodation. It is intended that the school will relocate to a former primary school building that is currently occupied by a special school pending the construction of a new school building for that special school which is currently under construction. It is envisaged that the new school building for the special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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.The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by individual school authorities. There are over 3,700 individual school authorities, responsible for this process,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: A proof of concept to examine if AI technologies could support Departmental staff in responding to customer queries was completed. The proof of concept focused on the potential for using AI technologies to analyse large volumes of publicly available information. An external service provider assisted with this at no cost to the Department. My Department continue to review and follow...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (11 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 325 together. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an admissions policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. Under the provisions of the Act, school admission policies are approved by the Patron, following...