Results 141-160 of 17,313 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2026 (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes. This will build on the progress which has been made by the previous Government. The general average of pupils to teachers in the Primary Staffing Schedule improved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports. The Government is very aware that small schools are an important part of the life of local communities. The current small schools' action research project established in 2021 is due to conclude at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: In 2023, as a teacher supply measure and following engagement with the relevant higher education institutions (HEIs) providing Initial Teacher Education (ITE), my predecessor Minister Norma Foley TD, increased the approved primary PME intake from 200 to 400 places for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. In 2025, I maintained the increased numbers and the approved PME intake for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The major building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered as part of my Department’s ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project Manager to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction. The brief for this major project is to provide a New 16 Classroom...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The joint major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an early stage of architectural planning - Stage 1 – Preliminary Design, which includes an assessment of the site and location suitability, and initial sketch scheme. This project is being delivered as part of the Departments ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Workplace Relations Commission (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Recognising the vitally important role of secretaries and caretakers within school communities, I and my officials have been working intensively with stakeholders, with the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to establish a platform for meaningful discussion and resolution. I believe that all parties have a responsibility to make sure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: A five-year breakdown by supplier, of annual expenditure incurred by my Department on cloud storage solutions is set out in the table below. Supplier Amount expended on cloud storage solutions 2020 (Inc VAT) Amount expended on cloud storage solutions 2021 (Inc VAT) Amount expended on cloud storage solutions 2022 (Inc VAT) Amount expended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Safety (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide the removal of existing prefabricated buildings and replacement with a two-storey extension consisting of 3 mainstream classrooms, 7 SET resource rooms and a 3 classroom base SEN unit, along with all associated facilities and site services, which includes revised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Parental Leave Scheme for SNAs is outlined in Circular 0027/2013 and Information Note TC/IN 0011/2023 and is regulated by the Parental Leave Act 1998, as amended. Under the terms of the Parental Leave Act 1998, as amended, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child is entitled to a maximum of 26 weeks Parental Leave in respect of each child up to the age of 16 years....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers, to other schools that have vacancies. At primary level, schools are required under the panel arrangements to fill their vacancies from the Main Redeployment Panel. Once all teachers on the Main Panel have been redeployed, permanent vacancies are offered to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Celbridge Campus Project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a bundled school building programme. It is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural design process. Stage 2a (the developed design stage) involves the Design Team developing the designs, fully cost planning the campus project and preparing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools, and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department provides significant funding to the organisation in question and the wider youth sector. Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2020 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years, including an over €30 million permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: My department has recently completed a building project at the school referred to by the deputy. This extension and refurbishment project allowed the school to increase its capacity to a 16-classroom school plus accommodation for special education need classes. The issue of funding repairs, upkeep and inspections of playgrounds outside the vested site areas of schools and other such issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that my department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for modular accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. My department has a significant modular accommodation programme in place to assist schools in the provision of additional capacity, including in respect of facilitating the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department approved funding for reconfiguration to provide one special education needs classroom (SEN) and the provision of modular accommodation comprising one mainstream classroom, one SET room and one art room under my Department’s Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme, for the school in question. Under the terms of this scheme, a play area is provided as a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: Tackling education disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government.?Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. The most recent expansion of the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464, 465 and 466 together. My Department is committed to supporting the provision of non-mainstream music education for children and young people in a sustainable and inclusive way. This is done mainly through annual allocations to support Music Generation and schools of music within four Education and Training Boards. There are no plans to extend...