Results 1,281-1,300 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances and also ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. My Department will engage with the State Examinations Commission regarding this commitment as part of the implementation of the Programme for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the and in line with the . The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations. The department has no role in the registration of individual teachers....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide 10 mainstream classrooms, 3 special education tuition room along with ancillary under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery. In October 2024 my department increased the brief of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The pension benefits of teachers, as with all pensionable public servants, are governed by legislation and/or circulars and are paid in accordance with public sector pension policy. Teachers who paid coordinated pension contributions (Class A) may be entitled to a supplementary pension in order to make up the shortfall in pension for the period between the date of retirement and the date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are two options for Physical Education (PE) at Senior Cycle – Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), which is an examinable subject and the Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE) framework which is non-examinable. Introduced on a phased basis in 2018 to 64 schools, LCPE is now being offered by 448 schools around the country. The Senior Cycle Physical Education (SCPE)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The management committee of Donegal ESC (DESC) contacted my department to make us aware of a proposed relocation to Letterkenny. In July 2024 they submitted a business plan supporting the decision to relocate. My department reviewed the detailed business case submitted and over a number of months engaged in consultation with the director and chairperson of the management committee, meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (18 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: Education Schemes (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings as part of our work towards 2030 and 2050 climate targets. This performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design, specification and delivery. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The gender breakdown of the requested grades in my department, is as follows, Secretary General - Female Assistant Secretaries* - Female 45% - Male 55% Principal Officers - Female 58% - Male 42% On the Management Board, the gender breakdown is split at 55% female and 45% male. This includes the Secretary General, Chief Inspector, Assistant Secretaries and an Acting Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for a number of categories and was last opened for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department has no current record of receiving an application for Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that the number of schools in counties Laois and Offaly that have an application with the Department for new accommodation are as follows, There are 3 applications from schools in Laois and 2 applications from schools in Offaly. From 2020 to 2024 the total capital expenditure for Laois was €104.27 million and for Offaly €66.79million. Within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Stage 4 - Construction. The project commenced on site in July 2024 and works are progressing well. It is anticipated that the construction period will have a duration of 15 months.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy, that my department has received an application, under the Additional Schools Accommodation Scheme (ASA), from the school authority in question. My department is aware of the accommodation needs of the school and is currently reviewing the application. Once a decision is reached on a proposed solution, the school will be notified directly. My Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, and 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). These circulars provide for the award of incremental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (18 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The information requested is not collected by my Department. Neither my Department nor the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has any role in relation to the setting, running, or marking of mock examinations. Decisions to hold mock examinations are taken by individual schools. The format of these examinations varies from school to school and not all schools run mock examinations.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects. The brief includes the development of a 16-classroom primary school, 4 class Special Education Needs (SEN) unit, general purpose room and various ancillary accommodation. The project is currently at Stage 1. In November...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The current position in respect of the joint major building project referred to by the Deputy is as follows; The major project for St. John Bosco Boys JNS, St. John Bosco SNS, and Mary Help of Christians GNS is currently at Stage 2(a) of Architectural Planning - Developed Design - which is a crucial element of the architectural planning process as it is at this stage that the design is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Storm Damage (18 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department recognises the significance of the Minor Works Grant for primary and special schools. As part of Project Ireland 2040, a commitment was made to ensure that this grant would be paid to all primary and special schools in either December or January of each school year. In recent years, however, the department has provided the grant ahead of the new school year. Since 2020, a total...