Results 1,321-1,340 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Education Act 1998, the legal responsibility for transferring patronage of a school rests with the current school patron in the first instance. A school patron may write to me as Minister for Education and Youth in relation to transfer of patronage of a school under their patronage under Section 8 of the Education Act 1998 and request that the patron register is amended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department uses a range of data sources when analysing the demand for school places, including enrolment data, child benefit data, census data, Local Authority population & housing projections and data on residential construction activity. As the Deputy may be aware, the annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the school in question currently has a project at stage 4 under my department's Additional Schools' Accommodation (ASA) scheme. This project will provide the school with three new science laboratories, two prep areas and a new design and communications (DCG) room as well as two mainstream classrooms by way of refurbishment of existing accommodation....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide 1 mainstream classroom and a 2 classroom SEN base. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery. A Stage 2b Report (post planning) was received in April 2025. This report is presently being evaluated from both technical and financial standpoints in compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department does not hold data on how many schools offer swimming lessons. All schools are required to deliver physical education as part of the curriculum. Physical Education supports the development of physical, cognitive, psychological and social capabilities. 1999 Curriculum: The current Physical Education (PE) curriculum was introduced as part of the Primary School Curriculum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department does not hold data on how many schools offer swimming lessons. All schools are required to deliver physical education as part of the curriculum. Physical Education supports the development of physical, cognitive, psychological and social capabilities. 1999 Curriculum: The current Physical Education (PE) curriculum was introduced as part of the Primary School Curriculum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Physical Education (26 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: At Junior Cycle all students undertaking a level 3 programme study a Physical Education specification designed for 135 hours engagement over the three years of Junior Cycle. The course offers a level of flexibility that allows each individual school to design a programme that can be delivered using the resources and supports available to it. Aquatics is one of the physical activities included...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senators for their engagement. I thank, in particular, Senator Boyhan for his engagement on this particular section and these amendments. As he has outlined, I support the idea. We have followed through on having a review of the criteria for the educational supports that will follow once this Bill is enacted. As I outlined to the Deputy on the proposal for a review after one year,...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: It will not cause problems for anyone if there is no one to apply to the scheme. It is not helpful to have a scheme in legislation that is not available to anyone because there is no one to avail of it. This simply states that the scheme can be wound down if, in 20 or 30 years' time, nobody is applying for it because none of the 16,000 or so people who want to avail of it and who have...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I will clarify. This is my mistake. It is the review that will cease, not the scheme itself.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank colleagues for their engagement. Senator Boyhan has outlined the reasons I cannot accept amendment No. 3. It is specifically due to the naming but also the reference to the provision of resources, which is not something I can agree to. It is something that must be worked through on a yearly basis. I have outlined to him in writing our commitment to Sage - to the work it has done...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: As I have outlined before, this legislation and the supports being provided are directly linked to those who availed of funding through Caranua. Caranua was previously directly linked to those who had availed of the initial redress scheme. There was a very clear and direct link to those who availed of those supports. The intention behind this Bill is not just to wind down Caranua. Caranua...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The amendment we agreed was the education one. The second amendment was more specifically around Sage Advocacy and outlining its work.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: On the amendments we agreed previously, one specifically was in relation to amendments to the criteria, or reviewing the criteria, for the education supports that would be provided through my Department. The second area where I had engagement with Senator Boyhan was specifically around the work of the advocacy group Sage and outlining what it provided. I could come back in a few moments on...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can speak to that matter now. I am sorry, as I was not sure if others were coming in.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Specifically on waivers, the Senator is correct. If a person applied to the redress scheme, the waiver would apply there. Obviously, the same criteria have applied for those, be that through Caranua or for the supports we are now putting in place. The person could also apply for Caranua if he or she had gone through a legal process and received a payment or an element of a payment and there...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: They were people with court awards and settlements that did not require a waiver and who were able to access the Caranua scheme. With the supports under discussion, the person does not have to have availed of Caranua to avail of the educational or the medical card scheme, but we have applied the same criteria as would have been for the redress scheme. A lot of people would have signed...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: It depends. There are a lot of people who did-----

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: For a lot of people, yes.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Waivers are a common feature of most redress schemes. The waiver to which the Senator makes specific reference in amendment No. 6 relates to a scheme, Caranua, that was established separately and is no longer in operation. There is not a specific reference to the waivers because some people had waivers and others did not. I fully appreciate the Senator's point that a lot of people had...