Results 1,341-1,360 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senators. While I appreciate the intention behind the amendment, it is the case and it is for the reasons outlined and for those specific health reasons that the HAA card was provided to those who contracted hepatitis C, to ensure that those who had essentially life-threatening conditions would be supported through that card. I appreciate the card that is being proposed now does...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was launched on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is my department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school in question submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for roof works. The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation and, on this basis, the school was advised to submit a Management Asbestos Survey report. Once this has been received the EWS team will review and engage further with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The 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: Departmental Policies (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I extend my sincere sympathies to the family of the young girl whose life was lost in this terrible incident. I recognise their loss and the terrible trauma that they now carry. As the Deputy has noted, the events leading to this tragic death have been the subject of court proceedings, leading to a settlement by the youth organisation in question. The youth organisation is an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Council of Ireland (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the state. It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for recognition of qualifications obtained by a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I refer to your correspondence on behalf of the named individual regarding their application for incremental credit for prior primary teaching service. The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for post-primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: I refer to your correspondence on behalf of the named individual regarding their application for incremental credit for prior primary teaching service. The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for post-primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 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. As with other sectors, recruitment challenges exist in some schools including in Dublin and surrounding counties. To address teacher supply issues, the Government has implemented several...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally. At primary level, teachers are allocated to schools at an average of 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project to which the Deputy refers, has been devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB). The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning design process. This stage of the process allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. The Design Team are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the deputy refers will be provided with two special needs classrooms under my Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: As funding from my Department is not allocated or recorded on a county basis, I am therefore not in a position to readily provide details on the amounts paid to schools at a county level over the period requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department recognises the vitally important role of Secretaries and Caretakers within school communities, as a key link between students, parents, school leaders and other staff, ensuring that both the administrative and the caretaking needs of the school are met. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. The Department of Education and Youth is not the direct employer of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school secretary and caretaker are at the heart of the school and are the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole. Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (25 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: Senior Cycle Redevelopment is about recognising and meeting the promise of education. It is about enabling students to navigate the dynamic and ever-changing world around them by helping them to develop their talents, their skills, and their understanding. It has the potential to reduce pressure on students by moving away from a single final examination. The equivalent of additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Discipline (24 Jun 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. Section 15 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), sets out the duties and functions of the boards of management of recognised schools or, where the employer is a person other than a board, by that person. Under Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (24 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates access to the examinations through its scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, otherwise known as the RACE scheme. I have asked the SEC to respond directly to the Deputy on the question raised.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (24 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: The provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine. My Department has a very significant capital programme that is providing additional capacity around the country, underpinned by a robust forward planning process. Since 2020, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early School Leavers (24 Jun 2025)

Helen McEntee: As Minister for Education & Youth, I am very conscious of the need to ensure our schools are supported enabling them to maximise teaching and learning outcomes for all students. It is vitally important that our education system is one in which every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. The School Completion...