Helen McEntee
Meath East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are no new missions, so there is only so much we can partake in. In regard to UN requests over the past ten years, in September 2019, we had 14 Defence Forces personnel deployed to a UN mission in Mali as part of a joint operation with the German armed forces.”
“I thank the Deputy for his continued engagement on this matter. It is appreciated and I reaffirm our shared commitment to truth and justice, not least for Private Rooney, but in particular for his family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I know he is committed to this issue; I am too. I have in recent months spent some time travelling to different barracks and Army bases and meeting with personnel. What I see all over the country is their professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
“I disagree that people are being pushed into the courts. The situation is exactly the opposite. I have said in the Chamber many times since I started taking these questions that the State Claims Agency is there and wants to mediate and work directly with people in order that cases do not go directly to the courts.”
“We are all committed to strengthening recruitment to and supporting retention in the Permanent Defence Force. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,823 personnel on 31 May, the most recent date for which we have a figure available.”
“It is the case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would not be able to be a part of if we were to keep the triple lock.”
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“We are also building the capacity of teachers to deliver an inclusive education system. It is really important that there is understanding at that level. My Department funds 338 places on postgraduate professional development programmes in collaboration with higher education institutes nationally. In addition, initial teacher education programmes include mandatory modules on inclusion to ensure that newly qualified teachers are more equipped to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs. That is now going to become mandatory. This will make sure that any person who wants to become a teacher will have a very clear understanding of what every young person needs. That will be a mandatory part of the overall training.”
“It is really important that we continue to provide those supports on the basis of need rather than through a diagnosis-led model because we know what that leads to and the challenges that build up in our system as a result. There are now over 15,000 special education teachers to support schools and students to achieve this objective. This means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes. These additional resources are provided to support students with the greatest level of need. That includes those with dyslexia, severe dyslexia or dyscalculia. Special education teachers work with their mainstream counterparts to identify students’ needs and to plan, implement and monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at addressing all of those needs.”
“Before I speak in detail about the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE, accommodations for the 2026 examinations, I will mention some aspects of the wider work under way on special education in my Department, some of which is recognised in this motion. There has been significant growth and investment in disability and special education related supports for students in Ireland. This is underpinned by a policy of inclusion. In accordance with this principle of inclusion, the aim is for students with additional learning needs to attend mainstream classes to the greatest extent possible. About 96% of such students attend mainstream classes along with their siblings, neighbours and peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.”
“It is going to be introduced based on criteria and I intend for it to continue. Today's motion very much reflects the vital role of education in our society. It acknowledges the commitment of this Government to nurture every student to reach his or her full potential. We have all met those students. We know them. There may be people in our lives whom we are trying to support here. I know that commitment is shared by teachers, school leaders and parents throughout Ireland and is reflected in the support they provide for our children and young people on their educational journey.”
“I thank Senators for the opportunity to update the House on this really important motion and overall issue. I have engaged with Senator Curley on the issue and I have met with my colleagues Senators Scahill and Nelson Murray. I know it is an extremely important issue for everybody here. The Government is not seeking to oppose the motion. The intent is very reflective of Government policy, our programme for Government commitments and the intensive work the State Examinations Commission is currently doing to develop that scheme of additional time. This is to be piloted for 2026. When we think of a pilot, we think of a small group of people for a small period of time. This pilot is to be introduced based on certain criteria to start with, so "pilot" may be the wrong word to use.”
“I was really pleased to visit the school earlier this year. It is very clear this is a school that needs a new building. I know there have been many starts and stops for various reasons over the past number of years. It is my intention to get builders on site as soon as possible. First, it needs to go to tender. I am pleased to be able to say to the Deputy that today the school will get notice that it will go to tender from today. That will give us the opportunity to make sure next year we have builders on site breaking ground and making sure we can provide a new state-of-the-art, 600-pupil school for that community and the wider area. I thank the Deputy for his work in that regard.”
“The work the mediator is doing now is based on engagement they had yesterday and we want to be able to come back to them as quickly as possible. However, there is an absolute desire on part of Government to try to resolve this as quickly as possible but above all that their health and well-being would be front and centre in all of this.”
“The Tánaiste responded but I am happy to respond as well. I assure the Deputy that this is being dealt with at the highest level. I have met with Maurice Patton-O’Connell, Miriam Moriarty Owens, Mary Donovan and Mary Dunleavy Greene twice now in the last number of weeks. The Taoiseach has met with them twice. A mediator met with them earlier this week. In between all of that, I have written to them a number of times and at every step of the way encouraged them to please come off their hunger strike. My first and foremost priority is their health and well-being. It is not a nice time of the year. At the same time, I appreciate what they have gone through. I have listened to many of their stories and understand the position they are in. I am asking that they would come off hunger strike. We will continue to engage with them in good faith.”
“I appreciate that some schools will fall below the number but it is there for a reason, to make sure we can provide those allocations throughout the year and ensure it is done in the most fair way possible and applied in the same way for every single school.”
“I am aware of this case and the situation the school is in. The Deputy has outlined exactly the structure and system that has been in place for many years now setting out how schools can retain a teacher in a developing post. It is the case that this number needs to be reached and there is always a cut-off and a threshold. I appreciate that some schools will be just under it and some will be just over it but we do need to ensure that the system is upheld. If the school does not reach that specific number, the post is taken away from it. That is not to say that in the future, if the number of students increases again, it will not be looked at again when teacher allocations are being made. The system and structures that are in place have been there for some time.”
“I am aware of the school and of the situation. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan and I meet the NCSE weekly and obviously where issues arise, we want to work with it to make sure they can be addressed as quickly as possible. Where schools have been designated or places provided but they have not come onstream yet, we are working closely with the school and parents to make sure there is a provision of education being made for the children. The overall objective is that they are in the classroom in the school and that that is allocated to them. I will engage further with the Deputy and we will make sure we are continuing to engage with the school and parents.”
“I thank the Deputy for his question on this school. It is my objective as Minister for Education and Youth to progress as many projects as possible. At the moment there are about 300 between large-scale, additional accommodation and special education projects that are moving but a significant cohort will come down the line in years to come These projects are at either stage 2a or 2b, moving to tender and moving to construction. The funding that has been secured for the next NDP is €7.55 billion. What I am working on at the moment is setting out what the plans look like for the next year, two years and up to five years to ensure as many of those projects, including that in the Deputy’s constituency, can move forward as quickly as possible.”
“Separate from that is the financial support services unit, which specifically engages and works with schools when they are in difficulty. The unit can advance particular payments to schools to help them during difficult times. I encourage any school in that situation to make sure it engages with the section and with the particular groups involved.”
“We need to look at how we permanently reduce the costs and one of the ways I believe we can do that is to look at our energy costs. A photovoltaic, PV, solar programme has been rolled out across many of the schools and, already, the feedback I am getting from the schools I have been engaging with is that schools are starting to see a reduction in their overall energy bills. It is really important we can permanently reduce the cost for schools. My Department is looking at a body of work to assess the overall data within schools to examine what are the actual costs, where are the hidden costs that maybe we do not see every day that can emerge and add a significant challenge to schools if they are not planned for or pre-empted and of course there is the pressure that this places on the school.”
“There has also been an increase for the DEIS urban band 1 schools, where there is a particular challenge. We have seen an increase in the standard capitation rates to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools and €20 per student for post-primary schools. We have also allowed for the increase of €20 in capitation rates for the DEIS urban band one schools and the increased capitation rates will now also see special schools receiving the same rates of capitation rates for young people aged 12 years and over. The increases announced in budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of budget 2025. In the last three budgets there has been an overall increase of 49.7%. That said, I appreciate there is more work we need to do and more support we need to provide.”
“Like the Deputy, I am acutely aware of pressures schools can be under and the subsequent pressure on parents and the school community. That is why the Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools. The programme for Government very clearly commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs. They are not immune to the increasing costs we have seen across the board. The commitment in the programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years. This year specifically, my Department secured €39 million in budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding. This is on a permanent basis so instead of once-off funding, this will go directly into the base for primary, post-primary and special schools.”
“In terms of the Deputy's second question on how funding can or should be provided, it is really important to get an assessment and understanding of what schools have at the moment based on the funding provided to date and on whether we need to be more targeted or to do it in a different way as we look to the next strategy.”
“There are courses on strengthening leadership and planning; and coding and computational thinking using Scratch, promoting creativity and problem-solving at a primary level. That is now very much embedded in the primary school curriculum. Schools are doing this, as I have seen during visits to schools over the past couple of months. There is a course in digital technology for modern foreign language teachers as well with that particular emphasis at primary school level, enhancing learning through technology. There are supports, advice and guidance there.”
“On the Deputy's first question, I mentioned briefly that we have Oide Technology in Education. This is a Department-funded support service that specifically promotes, but importantly supports, the embedding of digital technology, so it is looking at teaching and learning across post-primary and primary schools. It provides a range of free online courses that are available to school teachers and school leaders on certain things such as security for schools and AI for schools. It supports awareness of and confidence in emerging technologies, leading digital learning and developing a digital learning plan for schools. It gives teachers support in what they use the funding for and how they present that.”
“Having invested this money, not just from this strategy but from the previous one, it is to assess what schools have, where they need upgrades and whether schools need new equipment or whether we are getting to the stage where the equipment just needs to be upgraded and we are investing to make sure the technology is up to date and the schools have exactly what they need.”
“What I am committing to with the new national development plan, in which there was a further commitment for the ICT funding and strategy, is that it will be paid on an annual basis in December-January every year and that schools will have certainty around that. I appreciate there has been a variation in how the funding has been provided but it is important to acknowledge that the €200 million that was committed to will all be paid out. There is a commitment to make sure schools receive that. What I hope to see and what I am looking for the Department to do next year, is an assessment of what schools actually have.”
“As I mentioned, in some years more money was provided and one year none was. I am trying to make sure that every year, schools know they are getting that grant. Over the lifetime of the strategy, €200 million has been made available. Some €50 million of that funding was provided in April 2022; zero funding was provided in the 2022-23 school year; then there was a further €50 million in April 2024; and €35 million was provided this year. From May 2025, there will be a further €35 million provided later this year and the remainder is just over €30 million and will be provided next year. That will be the full €200 million over the lifetime of the strategy, appreciating there have been variations in when and how much money has been provided.”
“Through Webwise, which is funded by my Department under the EU Internet safety initiative, we are promoting online safety, digital citizenship and media literacy among school leaders, teachers, parents and students. While working with Oide Technology in Education as well, we will continue to support teachers with professional learning, training and resources that build digital confidence and innovation. This investment is in addition to other important curricular reform which is under way. This includes the introduction of computer science as a leaving certificate subject, the introduction of coding as a short junior cycle programme and the implementation of computational thinking as part of the new primary school curriculum.”
“It is really important schools know when they are getting the grant and I appreciate that over the past number of years it has not been the same figure and it has not happened every year, which has often caused some confusion. In addition to capital investment, my Department will continue to support initiatives that advance digital learning in schools. We will continue to advance digital education policy and embed technology in teaching and learning. We invest €15 million annually in the schools broadband programme, which has been absolutely essential for our schools, thereby providing high-speed connectivity to all recognised schools.”
“In total, and separate to that specific plan, €345 million has already been invested in schools across the country since the implementation of the first digital strategy for schools, which was commenced in 2015. For this school year, €35 million was issued directly to schools through the grant scheme for ICT infrastructure. As part of providing clarity and certainty for schools, the minor works grant and the ICT grant will be paid annually in the December-January period, so there will be another payment either towards the end of the year or in early January for further ICT grants and this will be incorporated into the Department's grants payment calendar.”
“The world is undergoing a digital and an AI revolution and it is essential that we equip students with the skills and competencies they need to succeed and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Most young people probably are miles ahead of us in that regard already. A key part of our plan is to support schools through investment in digital technologies, in training and teacher professional development and, of course, in curriculum reform. The digital strategy for schools to 2027 and its associated implementation plan are underpinned by €200 million in funding. That is over the lifetime of the strategy, as committed under Ireland’s national development plan.”
“We want to make sure that the strategy and the work of the task force identify ways in which we can provide options for students, whether through new schools or the reconfiguration of schools, through an aonad, how they have worked, how we can develop that and how can we make them work better in certain areas. However, I think we need to ensure that we have a focused strategy and plan in place with the support of everybody involved. I was pleased to find at recent meetings with the various different bodies that everybody is keen to get working and focus on how we can supply more and better provision for students.”
“My objective is to ensure that the option is available for students. In certain areas, it is just not available to them at the moment. I accept that. The task force that is due to be established under the policy is looking to explore issues relating to the various models of Irish-medium education provision. That does not just mean the development of new schools. We have other areas and ways in which the Irish language is being provided. How do we look at best practice where it has worked well? We may need to develop and reconceptualise the current models of provision, if necessary, with a view to identifying ways to increase the provision of Irish-medium education. The short answer is "Yes".”
“In terms of the task force, we have not set a target because we need to understand what the demand is and, most important, how we can introduce a greater number of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí through engaging with people. It is really important that the strategies have been worked on with the engagement of Foras na Gaeilge, an Foras Pátrúnachta, Gaeloideachas agus Conradh na Gaeilge. I met with these organisations as a group recently to make sure that all of the issues the Deputy has raised and the concerns the organisations have about being able to roll out more school provision, as well as about how Irish is being taught in our schools and bringing back the grá for it and people's ability to converse in it, are front and centre of the strategies that will be published later on this week.”
“The survey will be based on a parent or guardian's preference. If the child is already in a school, it will relate to the current school. If the child is not in a school, it will relate to the parent or guardian's preferred choice. That is the approach that was designed to make sure the outcome can be implementable, which will be important when we get the information. We are seeing where changes and transitions are working well. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, and the transition of its Synge Street CBS to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste from September 2026 is an example. While there might have been some teething problems, we are working very closely with the school, the teachers and the patron in particular to make sure this transition can happen.”
“That was developed using the same approach that has been taken for the two new strategies, including where Irish is taught in English-medium schools and in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. The information from the consultation is being considered in light of extensive provision for Irish-medium education, the estimated demand in the education system, as well as issues relating to teacher supply and the Department’s budgetary and legislative context. A task force on models of provision for Irish-medium education is also being established as a key action under the policy. I will give an outline of that in my supplementary answer.”
“If there is a very clear demand within a community for a particular school to change, it makes it easier for that community to engage with the patron to engage with the patron to bring about change. I intend to publish a new policy for Irish-medium education outside the Gaeltacht on Thursday morning. In order to inform the development of the overall policy, a comprehensive public consultation process was conducted. Officials in my Department have drawn on the insights gained from this overall consultation process and from research undertaken in developing the new policy. Importantly, the new Gaeltacht policy, which was introduced a number of years ago, has been hugely successful.”
“We have committed in the programme for Government to expand opportunities for pupils and students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, to establish new Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand and to support parents choosing Irish-medium education for their children. Today, we have just published a survey specifically looking at primary schools. It was really important that one of the questions in it was whether parents wanted their child or children to be taught through the medium of Irish or English. Also important in the survey is that it is school-specific. While there might be a view that we could have made it more open-ended, making sure that it is school-specific means it can be implemented at the end of the day.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ward as a cheist agus as a chuid suime sa Ghaeilge agus san oideachas lán-Ghaeilge. Tuigim an ról lárnach atá ag an gcóras oideachais chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn, agus an stádas ar leith atá ag an oideachas lán-Ghaeilge maidir le caomhnú agus neartú na teanga. I thank Deputy Ward for his question, and for his interest in the Irish language and Irish-medium education. I understand the central role the education system plays in the promotion of the Irish language and the special status of Irish-medium education in the preservation and strengthening of the language.”
“It is important to stress that every person gets a fair hearing. The application is made. Medmark, as the current OHS, provides independent medical assessments. Any decisions that are made on foot of those recommendations are based on expert assessment. This is not about any individual taking a particular view. There is an independent medical assessment that has to be provided. It is based on that recommendation that any decision is taken. A person's circumstances can change and in that context, if the individual in question wanted to make a new application, it could be considered if the circumstances had changed.”
“There are a number of criteria that it has to take into consideration, including the presence of a disabling illness, the prospect of future improvement or recovery, permanent and total disability, restricted functional capacity, treatment options fully explored and various other elements. While a person may apply and be successful in one instance, that is not to say that he or she cannot apply on the basis that circumstances change. It is important, if there is a reapplication, that a medical assessment has to be provided with it. I encourage the individual in question to reengage with the Department and to reapply under the grounds I have set out.”
“I will not go into detail. As the Deputy said, I do not think it would be appropriate to do so in the Chamber. The Department is aware of the case. There is obviously a very clear, independent and separate process that has to take place. I will outline that. The OHS provides employers with the occupational health advice in relation to employees. That applies not just to teachers but to SNAs and other specific non-teaching staff to assess whether they are medically fit for work. It incorporates pre-employment health assessments, it looks at sickness, absent referrals, assessments of medical fitness for work, ill-health retirement assessments and it considers whether a teacher is permanently unfit to teach.”
“I encourage the person to engage with my officials with a view to making a fresh application for ill health retirement. This will involve a medical assessment. It is important that is part of the process, as I have outlined. I will ask my officials to consider a new application as soon as it has been received”
“As this process is confidential in nature, I cannot comment on the medical evidence submitted by the person concerned or the assessment made by the OHS. What I can say is that applicants for retirement pension benefit on medical grounds must follow this particular procedure and attend for a medical assessment with the OHS. The decision to approve or reject an application is based on the recommendation of the OHS. Medmark, the current OHS, provides independent medical assessments, ensuring that any decisions about an employee’s fitness to teach are made based on expert assessment. I understand that the pensions unit of my Department is familiar with the case the Deputy has mentioned and it has been in contact with the person concerned on several occasions.”
“My Department administers pension schemes, which are provided for in legislation, for teaching staff in primary, secondary and community and comprehensive schools. One such provision of these pension schemes is the awarding of benefits under ill health retirement. There is a process in place for administering such applications that involves the completion of two forms. The first form is an application for benefits, which is returned to the pensions unit of my Department for the processing of the application. The second form relates to the member’s medical condition and must be signed by the member and his or her doctor. The doctor must provide a confidential doctor-to-doctor report to accompany the form detailing the member’s diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. This form and report are returned directly to the Department’s OHS provider.”
“The overall capital budget is not just focused on new builds and additional accommodation. A significant proportion of it invests in minor works, summer works and emergency works. There are also ICT grants, as well as funding that is now going to be provided for our youth centres at a much higher rate than had been provided before. I am happy to engage with all schools. The Department will continue to engage with all schools, including the school the Deputy mentioned.”
“This is a project that I am aware of from engagement with my colleagues in the area. It is not that there is no desire for a particular project to progress or that any desire within a community is being ignored. Rather, where there are greater demands around the provision of school places, we must ensure they are prioritised ahead of areas where perhaps there already is a provision of school places, albeit not necessarily in the context or setting that pupils or the school community want. That is not to say that a project cannot progress in the future, but we have to plan out what the next number of years look like. We will continue to engage with the school community - I can say that very clearly - in the same way we engage with all of the schools that seek to develop new buildings, new infrastructure or additional accommodation schemes.”
“In certain demographic areas where there is that demographic increase, be they in my county of Meath or in Kildare, Wicklow or, of course, Dublin and other counties, we have to be able to respond and cater to it. While we have to prioritise providing physical infrastructure for people where it does not exist, that is not to say that other projects will not be able to progress at different stages. There will be that prioritisation based on the fact that we have a budget, though. We are not going to be able to progress everything at the same time or maybe in the timeline that some people would like.”
“Given the fact that there are so many schools and competing demands, there has to be prioritisation. There is a need to prioritise, firstly, special education. We need to make sure we are providing not only sufficient places for this school term, but that we are forward planning. That is why we need to look at developing more special schools. We have built 16 new schools in the past number of years, two of which are opening this week, but we did not build any for many years before that, so we need to continue to prioritise and invest in special schools, special education provision, new classrooms and additional accommodation. Where there is an actual demand for school places where they do not currently exist, we have to prioritise that.”
“It is fair to say that delays can happen for certain reasons and different factors, often beyond the Department’s control, such as site acquisition and planning permissions. Often, we have issues, as we have seen, with tenders or contractors. Sometimes, these are issues the Department cannot mitigate, but it obviously adds to some of the delays we see in some of the projects.”
“Over 300 school building projects, including 38 new schools, are currently in construction to deliver more than 30,000 school places. Most of these projects are expected to be completed over the course of 2026 and 2027. On top of that, it is planned that approximately 80 further school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a two-year rolling programme. Project delivery is managed as part of an overall capital programme in line with the Government's infrastructure guidelines. Of course, we always have to take budgetary parameters into account. We do not have an infinite amount of money, so we have to make sure that the projects we have in the system are moving and we are able to progress and deliver them within the budget we have.”
“It is about making sure that our new builds have provisions for special education but also, on top of that, that there is additional accommodation within that where we need to provide special classes within mainstream schools that currently do not have them. There will be a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. Where there is a growth in demographics, it is important that we be able to respond to that, whether it be a new building that is needed or an expansion of a current school place. For those schools not in permanent buildings, such as those in my constituency or the schools referenced earlier that are in temporary or modular accommodation, we need to ensure we are able to deliver new schools for those communities as quickly as possible.”
“At the outset, I wish to say that my Department has a strong track record of delivery. Since 2020, my Department has invested more than €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan. As I mentioned earlier, this involves the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Given the fact that there are 4,000 schools across the country, the delivery of 1,300 school projects over the last number of years is a significant achievement. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth out to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this allocation, my Department will place a strong emphasis on a number of things, including the provision of special education for children and the development of new special schools.”
“What I would advise schools to do is ensure that when they are making applications, be it for emergency works or minor works, they provide as much information as possible, setting out why they need the funding. The intention is to work through the various applications as quickly as possible. The good thing about the emergency works and minor works schemes is that you do not have to apply at a particular time; you can apply as needed because, when an emergency arises, you have to be able to respond quickly. The Department tries to respond to individual applications as quickly as possible. I am happy to work with the Deputy on the school he mentioned.”
“It is essential that every school - irrespective of whether there is a perception that some can pay for more than others - has access to the minor works, emergency works and summer works schemes, as well as being able to benefit from the larger capital programme. More will apply for the summer works scheme than will get funding, so it is a matter of determining where the need is most acute and how to prioritise that. There is a system and structure within the Department, but where there is a danger to children or where there is playground equipment that cannot be used or a level of resources which means an area is unfit for children, that certainly must be taken into consideration.”