Results 121-140 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (29 Apr 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 agreement provided for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The scope of repurposing works to facilitate the establishment of the new special school in Carrignavar is currently being advanced by Project Managers and their Design Team. A contractor framework is in place to facilitate commencement of works on site when the scope of works and design process have been completed. Engagement with Uisce Éireann forms part of this process and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years: adjustments to examination and assessments arrangements, and a post-marking adjustment to outcomes. This post-marking adjustment has ensured that results in the aggregate have remained the same on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (29 Apr 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 person...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (29 Apr 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 over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Standards (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Mathematics at Senior Cycle builds on the learning at Junior Cycle and develops mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding needed for continuing education, life and work. Through their study of mathematics at Leaving Certificate level, students develop a flexible, disciplined way of thinking which enables them to solve problems in mathematical and real-world contexts. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that officials in my Department have been in contact with the school referred to by the Deputy in relation to their recent correspondence and have requested further information in order to assess their issues highlighted. The Department are awaiting a response from the school authorities in this regard. The school had a large scale building project completed in Q1 2025 via the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation scheme from the school in question. The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide 7 special education tuition (SET) rooms and to convert the currently shared SET room into a home school liaison room. I can confirm that this project received my Department's approval to move to Stage 2b (planning) in October 2024, and the Department now...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Major Building Project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning Stage 2b – Detailed Design, which includes the application for all statutory consents, including Planning Permission, Disability Access Certification and Fire Safety Certification and the preparation of the Tender documentation. All statutory consents have been secured....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 Apr 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: School Discipline (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 803 and 804 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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 Department has invested over €5.8 billion in our schools, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Additionally, my officials work very closely with schools and patrons to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (29 Apr 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: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award. Department officials are working with the Design Team and the school authority to resolve the remaining issues in response to the Tender Report. The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery and my department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: This joint school building project for the projects referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new extension and refurbishment of some existing accommodation to provide a 24 classroom primary school with classrooms for children with special educational needs, at both schools. The schedule of accommodation was recently increased to include SEN accommodation and the design options submitted by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 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: School Funding (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, in December 2024 it was announced that €12 million in funding was to be provided for a new Science Implementation Support Grant. The grant was paid to all schools in the Free Education Scheme in line with other Departmental approaches such as the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme. Outside of teacher salaries, which are paid directly by my Department, the main...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation. At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation...