Results 1,141-1,160 of 15,047 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Facilities (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my Department has recently approved the surrender of our lease interest on the property in question. My Department is currently preparing an instruction to our legal representatives to progress the legal formalities relating to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: School Accommodation (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The remaining Stages are Stage 4 - in Construction, and Stage 5 - Handover and Final Account. A new grant of planning was received in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached. The design team are examining...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Transport (5 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 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: School Funding (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 439 together. Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and the principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including arrangements for co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. While the decision to become involved in organised...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Transport (5 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that potential accommodation options are currently being reviewed by the patron of the proposed new special school, Tipperary ETB, in conjunction with the Department of Education. A decision on the location of the school will be taken when this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Equipment (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The decision to install a defibrillator is made at local school level and is a matter for the board of management of each individual school. The wider question of the need for defibrillators to be made available in public places is primarily a public health...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. The secretaries had previously...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: Since September 2023, the department is providing a payroll service for previously grant funded Secretaries. This provision is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and also includes revised terms and conditions for secretaries. The Agreement however did not grant...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Special Educational Needs (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the school in question. The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Education Policy (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 441 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Facilities (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question for 1 x Mainstream classroom modular and the school authority has subsequently requested that this modular be changed to provide 1 x Special education needs classroom. The purpose of my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Transport (5 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme. This project is one of the projects on my Departments 3rd Adapt Programme - Adapt 3A, which procured and appointed design teams during 2023. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of my Department's construction programme and will be delivered as part of a campus project which will provide a new 8 classroom primary school and accommodation, including 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs for the school referred to by the Deputy and a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Patronage (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: There is a commitment under the Programme for Government to seek to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. I am liaising with my Department officials on the best way to deliver on this commitment.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Building Projects (5 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 Public Expenditure and Reform: School Staff (5 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. Like many sectors, recruitment challenges exist in the education sector, especially in urban areas. While most teaching positions are filled, some schools face significant recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 464 together. The decision to close a school in response to a severe weather event is a matter for individual school management authorities around the country, taking into consideration the full guidance and direction available from the principal response agencies. Individual school management authorities are best placed to do this in light of...