Results 161-180 of 15,027 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has a project for the delivery of 2x modular special education classrooms sanctioned by the Department. This project is on a priority modular delivery programme that aims to expedite projects of this nature. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 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: Disadvantaged Status (8 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 Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy of government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department is investing over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 522 together. New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place. Nationally, at post-primary level, 48.6% of students are enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme to provide 3 mainstream classrooms (prefab replacement) and a 2 classroom special educational needs base. The project is devolved to school authority for delivery. The project is currently at Stage 1 (design) of the architectural process. While the school have appointed a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT programme. ADAPT is an acronym for the "Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering". The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children. I am delighted to update you on the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot. The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot has two strands and works to support children’s wellbeing and mental health in schools. Strand 1 sees direct counselling supports being provided to primary schools for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: As per Circular 02/2018 the FSSU, on behalf of my Department, acts as a central repository for the receipt of annual school accounts, as prepared by the school’s external accountant/auditor who is registered with a recognised accountancy body in the State. My Department does not store this data and so the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Site Acquisitions (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 26 classroom school for children with special educational needs to replace the existing school. It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Apr 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 to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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 Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (8 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (8 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, using...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am committed to continuing the programme of reform of Senior Cycle to ensure that students benefit from up-to-date curricula, more diverse skills development and assessments so that they are properly equipped to succeed in this changing world. Accordingly, an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education has been progressing at pace. Some key elements of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question. The purpose of the ASA 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 by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 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 Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy of government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. My department is investing over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (8 Apr 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 process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school referred to...