Results 141-160 of 17,803 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the Department of Education and Youth is committed to the Irish language as a core element of the school curriculum. Irish is a vital part of our national identity and educational heritage, and its promotion remains a key priority. In certain exceptional circumstances, a primary pupil or post-primary student may be granted an exemption from studying Irish....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including 4 classrooms, for children with special educational needs on the permanent site for the school. The project will be delivered under my Department's Design and Build Programme. The decision to grant planning permission for the permanent school was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: Please find attached requested data. Data is collated from the final primary and post-primary enrolment lists for years 2005 to 2024, 2024 being the latest year we have final enrolment data. The lists can be found at the link below. www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/data-on-in dividual-schools/. Enrolments are tied to the census date 30th of September in each academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (4 Nov 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: School Curriculum (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary level, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), there are no requirements placed on a school by my Department to use any individual textbooks or resources. My Department does not generally approve, commission, sponsor or endorse educational textbooks and it would not be feasible to do so. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department is committed to the Programme for Government commitment to increase dedicated Irish-medium teacher training programmes and to build on our current Irish-medium programmes:Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas/ Professional Master of Education, post-primary level at University of Galway.Baitsiléir san Oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge/Bachelor of Education through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Election Management System (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: In relation to school closures due to elections, overall responsibility for the running of elections and arrangements in this regard is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Returning Officers are statutorily responsible for the conduct of elections and may, under electoral law, use school premises for this purpose. Schools must, in accordance with electoral...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: The table attached shows the detail of funding recorded by my Department as having being grant aided to NGOs in the last five years. The listing does not include other bodies that may have received Departmental funding indirectly, e.g. from a body that itself is in receipt of direct Voted funding. As the Deputy will be aware, Circular 13/2014 sets out the conditions for the management of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that initial approval, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, issued to the school in question for the provision of one mainstream classroom, 1 Home school liaison teachers (HLT) room (replacement prefab) and the purchase of three SET rooms. The Department of Education had strong delivery across the school building programme in 2022 with a large...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: Ancillary Services Grant is payable to recognised primary schools and special schools in the Free Education Scheme. The grant is intended to cater for the cost of employing Secretarial and Caretaking staff. It is up to the BOM to allocate this funding as per their priorities. As per Circular 0040/2009 the capitation grant provided for general running costs and the ancillary services grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: At the start of the school year, priority is given in the first instance to the set up of teachers on the payroll for payment of salary. Payment of Assistant Principal allowances cannot commence until the full staffing complement for the 2025/2026 school year is known and the allocation of posts to schools is finalised. This is usually completed by the first week of November. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: This Government is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. The recruitment and appointment of teachers for teaching positions is managed by 3,700 individual school authorities, independently of the Department. Several targeted measures have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: School admissions policies, including the selection criterion to be used where the school is oversubscribed, must comply with the 2018 Act, be non-discriminatory and be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. A school must accept all applicants unless oversubscribed. All schools must clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: Divine Mercy JNS & SNS: This joint school building project 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 joint major building project is currently at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 671, 672 and 674 together. Tackling education disadvantage is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of €180 million. The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 675 and 676 together. I note the Deputy has raised a number of separate queries in relation to the named Project Management Consultant to my Department. Given the level of detail requested by the Deputy on this matter, this information is not readily available and will take my Department some further time to collate. A combined response to your queries...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I note the Deputy has raised a number of separate queries in relation to the named Project Management Consultant to my Department. Given the level of detail requested by the Deputy on this matter, this information is not readily available and will take my Department some further time to collate. A combined response to your queries raised in this regard will issue in due course directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I note the Deputy has raised a number of separate queries in relation to the named Project Management Consultant to my Department. Given the level of detail requested by the Deputy on this matter, this information is not readily available and will take my Department some further time to collate. A combined response to your queries raised in this regard will issue in due course directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: I note the Deputy has raised a number of separate queries in relation to the named Project Management Consultant to my Department. Given the level of detail requested by the Deputy on this matter, this information is not readily available and will take my Department some further time to collate. A combined response to your queries raised in this regard will issue in due course directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (4 Nov 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Planning & Building Unit within my Department , operate a range of programmes to manage the rollout of the NDP capital programme. The NDP programme supports the operation of the school system and involves annual expenditure of the order of €1.6 billion and excess 300 projects in construction at any one time. The Department has a strong track record of delivery, and the...