Results 1-20 of 16,457 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Taxes Consolidation (Development of Regional Film Industry) (Amendment) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Occupying Power (Securities and Handling of Settlement Goods) Bill 2025: First Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: No.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: To the Deputy's final point, my Department is engaging with the schools in the area to make sure that every child has a place. This has to happen in every area, particularly where there is a population increase. We are actively engaged in the area. If there is a need to work more closely with the Tusla education support service for schools, and in particular for students, that will happen....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I will give an example. For a 100-pupil primary school, €4,533 is allocated. For a 500-pupil school, the amount is €14,665. For a post-primary, there is a basic grant of €2,000 plus €30.40 per mainstream student. It is not the intention that schools will be buying iPads every year or that every student will need to use them at every stage of the school day. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: We have dedicated support and funding for schools, with a commitment for €200 million over the lifetime of the strategy. Through the NDP and the next strategy, we will commit even more funding. Some €325 million has been invested specifically to provide technology in our schools, recognising that is how things are going and that technology is a really positive part of how...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Transition year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities to develop future life skills for personal, social and academic development and to experience other aspects of adult and working life. Transition year can bring a unique and important value in the life of students. Each school designs its own transition year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I fully support what the Deputy is suggesting, in that we provide students with life skills. These are skills that we all need at certain stages, whether moving into our own home, setting up a new business or exploring different opportunities. Transition year, in a way unlike the rest of the curriculum, is a real opportunity to be able to explore those different avenues. There is a set...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Curriculum (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: First, in terms of driver theory but, more broadly, road safety, it is something we really have to focus in on for transition year. Last October, there was collaboration between my Department and the Road Safety Authority, RSA, where they developed a specific programme, Road Safety Matters. It was launched to help students become safer road users. The programme, which has been developed by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Information and Communications Technology (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: Decisions regarding the use and deployment of digital technology in schools is a matter for the board of management of each school in the context of their digital learning planning. It is very much open to the schools to decide how they adopt and change. Schools are advised to consult with members of the school community, including parents, when planning any introduction of digital...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I agree with the Deputy regarding the importance of being able to support young people early, especially where we know issues are emerging. It is crucial, most importantly, to the young people, but also to our society as a whole. I agree with the Deputy as well that it is important that in the evaluation, we are looking at the work of those in strands 1 and 2, but perhaps also at how they...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. The schools PV programme is funded by the Government’s climate action fund in line with our recognition that taking action on climate change is central to our social and economic development. It is assisting schools in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint as part of the response to meeting the 2030 and 2050 climate action plan targets for the schools'...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: This is something that has been brought to my attention before in some of the schools I visited, especially in larger schools, where I have been asked whether they could get more solar panels for all the reasons the Deputy outlined, including to help to reduce costs and ensure the system is appropriate to the scale and size of the school. The scheme's structure was put in place some time...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: There are two objectives to the installation of the solar panels. The first is to help us to achieve our targets and ensure the schools and the Department of education play their roles in helping to achieve our 2030 and 2050 targets. Second, this is also a real opportunity for us to help to reduce costs for the schools. Many of the schools have just installed solar panels, the 44% that are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I agree fully with the Deputy. We should be getting to a situation where all our schools and public buildings have solar panels, insofar as is possible. This will feed into our overall reduction and climate targets but also will support our schools in reducing their costs. This is one of the biggest challenges we currently face in making sure we identify ways schools can reduce their...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I accept what the Deputy is saying. It is not always the case that a fee-paying school has infinite resources. However, it is the case that some schools do have the ability to pay for this. It is about looking at the resources we have and ensuring everyone can benefit from the changes which will not just help support our climate objectives but also help reduce costs. In the time I have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. This is an important pilot programme that has been rolled out. My Department is committed to supporting the emotional well-being of our children. In 2023, the establishment of a €5 million pilot programme of counselling and mental health supports for primary schools was announced. In budget 2025, the pilot received additional funding...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I agree with Deputy Burke that any way in which we can provide support to our students at any age or level should be welcomed. It is my intention to continue the work on strands 1 and 2 in the areas under the pilot scheme, to put this programme in place as quickly as possible and to try to expand it further. That comes down to measures and what can be achieved in the budget, and this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: The schools photovoltaic, PV, programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kW peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic 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 taking action on climate change is central to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Schools Building Projects (17 Jul 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 87 together. My Department has a strong track record of delivery. Since 2020, we have invested more than €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of more than 1,400 school building projects. It has provided almost 100,000 additional and replacement school places,...