Results 8,681-8,700 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: To date, my Department has made no assignment of staff to the Office of the Minister of State with responsibility for innovation policy. Staff in relevant sections in my Department liaise as appropriate with the aforementioned Office of the Minister for State.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: To date, my Department has made no assignment of staff to the Office of the Minister for State with responsibility for integration policy. Staff in relevant sections in my Department liaise as appropriate with the aforementioned Office of the Minister for State.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: To date, my Department has made no assignment of staff to the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues and mental health. Staff in relevant sections in my Department liaise as appropriate with the aforementioned Office of the Minister for State.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and progress on the project will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Directive 2005/36/EC on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications was adopted on 30 September 2005 and came into effect on 20th October 2007. The Department of Education and Science holds the co-ordinating role for the transposition of this Directive. Transposition of provisions for the Sectoral professions (doctors with basic training, specialised doctors, nurses responsible for general...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Westland Row CBS applied for the Summer Works Scheme 2005 and were successful in receiving funding in excess of €81,000 to carry out Mechanical and Electrical Works on a Science Laboratory in the school. As a disadvantaged school, Westland Row CBS received 95% funding of the total cost of the works. The school was also successful in obtaining approval for Mechanical and Electrical Works...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that VECs are statutory bodies governed by extensive legislation, primarily the Vocational Education Act 1930 to 2001. Accordingly, all employees of VECs, including caretakers, are subject to terms and conditions of employment determined by the VEC concerned, with the consent of the Minster for Finance. My Department provides funding towards the cost of caretaking services in...

Written Answers — School Inspection Reports: School Inspection Reports (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department first began to publish school inspection reports in June 2006. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that since then, 1,055 reports on some 700 schools have been made available to school communities and the general public through publication on my Department's website. There are 286 published Whole-School Evaluation (WSE) reports which include 218 WSE reports on primary schools, 53...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Welfare Board is developing a nationwide service on a continuing basis that is accessible to schools, parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) have been deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board's...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is not in receipt of an application for large scale capital investment from the school to which the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware of the developing nature of Navan town which is the subject of five Local Area Development Plans. The Department is in regular contact with Meath County Council in relation to the rate and pace of housing developments in Navan and, in part, with the assistance of this information, it is currently reviewing educational provision in the town with a view to taking...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been operational since 1st January 2005, and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). The SENO is also a focal point of contact for parents and schools. My officials...

Written Answers — Educational Programmes: Educational Programmes (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Programme in all primary schools includes a specific 'safety and protection' strand which is designed to develop in children an increasing sense of personal responsibility for their own safety and that of others. The learning objectives of this strand specifically include such issues as safety strategies for crossing the road, using the bus or...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department is in receipt of an application to establish an additional Gaelcholáiste in the South County Dublin area. This application is being assessed and the proposers will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. According to data submitted to the Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's Student Maintenance Grants Schemes take account of the incomes and losses of the relevant tax year. The schemes provide that the grant awarding agency may allow losses of the relevant year to be offset against other incomes of the same year, but they do not allow losses of any prior year to be offset in the relevant year.

Written Answers — Drug Prevention Education: Drug Prevention Education (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Drug prevention education is implemented as part of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curricula in ALL primary and post-primary schools. The SPHE curriculum is mandatory in all primary schools and post-primary schools up to Junior Certificate Level in which substance use is one of 10 modules taught. At primary level, the Substance Misuse Prevention Programme (SMPP or 'The Walk...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding for general classroom accommodation and a PE hall, from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a band 2 rating. Progress on the project will be considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (1 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government sets out a number of measures in relation to school provision including improving arrangements for the acquisition of sites. In this regard, I recently met with my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to discuss these matters and the scope for greater liaison with the local government sector.