Results 161-180 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: The establishment of Citizens’ Assemblies are the subject of a Government decision and resolutions of the Dáil and Seanad at the appropriate time. There is however a commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future to hold a convention bringing together all stakeholders in education. I am liaising with officials from my department in relation to...

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

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for...

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

Helen McEntee: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: Please find attached requested information for the years 2019-2023 inclusive, 2023 being the latest year we have class size data. We expect to publish class data for 2024-2025 in June 2025. The figures are based on mainstream classes in mainstream schools and were collated from the relevant Class Size tables published on our website and can be found at the link below;...

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

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or refurbishment project is being...

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

Helen McEntee: Under the Education Act 1998, the School Board of Management (BOM) appointed by the School’s Patron, is the body charged with the direct governance of a School and the School Principal manages the School on a day-to-day basis. Each School has the autonomy to design their own timetables and decide which subjects and programmes the school will offer based on the educational needs and...

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

Helen McEntee: Under the Education Act 1998, the School Board of Management (BOM) appointed by the School’s Patron, is the body charged with the direct governance of a School and the School Principal manages the School on a day-to-day basis. Each School has the autonomy to design their own timetables and decide which subjects and programmes the school will offer based on the educational needs and...

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

Helen McEntee: Under the Constitution, the provisions of article 44 recognise the rights of children to attend school without attending religious instruction at that school. Furthermore the provisions of Section 30(2) (e) of the Education Act 1998 provide that a school shall not require a student to attend instruction in any subject which is contrary to the conscience of the parent / guardian of the student...

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

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith based education. For historical reasons, most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local Bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic patrons, that more diverse provision is required to cater for...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 865 and 866 together. The Schools PV Programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on their roofs, which equates to approximately 14 solar panels. The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (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: 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 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: Departmental Policies (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system,...

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

Helen McEntee: The school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special education needs on a site at Kishogue Cross, Griffeen Avenue, Lucan, Co Dublin. The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued to the successful contractor on 18/11/2024 which allowed the contractor to commence on...

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

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that 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. For school planning purposes Newcastle is located in the Newcastle_Rathcoole school planning area and at post primary level is served by Holy Family...

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

Helen McEntee: In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional...

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

Helen McEntee: As set out in the National Financial Literacy Strategy, opportunities for financial literacy exist across the school curriculum across Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. A new Primary Curriculum Framework was published in 2023, which includes a set of seven key competencies which are designed to empower children ‘to act and make decisions in relation to specific learning...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 874, 882 and 922 together. The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputies is the provision of a new 600 pupil school building including all associated ancillary accommodation. The project was originally authorised to proceed to tender, upon completion of the prequalification shortlisting process in September 2022. Planning...

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 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 Facilities (29 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The process of reviewing the 2017 “Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours” was completed in early 2024 and the revised “Procedures on the use of School Property and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours” was published in June 2024. My Department supports and encourages the use of school buildings for community and...