Results 1,981-2,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Physical education is included in the programme of pre-service education for all students in each college of education. A number of students also take additional elective courses in various aspects of physical education, such as aquatics and games. All college of education graduates are, therefore, fully qualified to teach the physical education curriculum in primary schools. I am satisfied...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The recent report of the Irish Language Commissioner highlighted the fact that despite appreciable time devoted to Irish in the school system, many students emerge from primary and post-primary education without achieving a reasonable command of the language. Particular concerns were raised about students' command of the spoken language. While I accept that the standard of oral Irish in...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am acutely aware of the issue of bullying in schools and my Department has in place a multifaceted strategy to tackle the issue. The education of students in both primary and post-primary schools on anti-bullying behaviour is a central part of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum. SPHE is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Many primary schools have a general purposes room for play and PE facilities during inclement weather. In addition, practically all schools have play areas which are utilised for teaching different aspects of the physical education programme. A similar situation with sports halls and outdoor facilities applies at second level. Many schools have the use of adjacent local facilities, including...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 enables additional institutions, in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function, to be added to the Schedule to the Act. Since the enactment of the legislation, my Department has received correspondence from both individuals and survivor groups identifying a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department are aware of the need to provide a long-term solution to the accommodation needs of St. Michael's House special school, Skerries. It is the understanding of officials in my Department that the children attending the school come from a wide catchment area. The locating of the school in the Skerries area is one of a number of possible...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As I indicated in my reply of 14 April 2005 to Question No. 149, I have asked my Department to review the status of this course for maintenance grant purposes. Issues have been raised with my Department, including by the Office of the Ombudsman, regarding the conditions under which the course in question is recognised for grant purposes. These relate to the question of the course being...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The decision to expand the existing school referred to by the Deputy from an eight classroom to a 16 classroom school was taken by officials in the planning and building unit of my Department in the light of the demand for such school places in the Lucan area. This decision followed a technical examination of the school and site and discussions with South Dublin County Council. On the...

Written Answers — School Access: School Access (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The question raised by the Deputy primarily relates to the legal rights of occupiers of land and is one on which legal advice should be sought. However, schools are, for the most part, privately owned and autonomous bodies. It is a matter for the board of management of each school to decide on how best to manage visitors on its premises having regard to its rights and responsibilities.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As part of a review of all projects for the 2005 capital programme, the application for capital funding from the gaelscoil in Wicklow town was assessed against the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. Under this review, all projects were assigned a band rating and the progress of...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class size of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. Significant improvements have been made in this area in...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not have details of the number of pupils who have failed to gain places in the school of choice except where the parents or guardians of a child appealed a schools decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Responsibility for ensuring that a child progresses from primary to post-primary education rests in the main with the child's parents. Under section 17 of the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. With effect from 1 January 2005, the NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, will process resource applications for children with special educational needs....

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the office of public works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, is continuing to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. The technical suitability of seven sites is under consideration with regard to suitability as a location for the school in question. The question...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is the policy of my Department not to release details of funding provision for individual projects in advance of contracts being signed, as this information is commercially sensitive.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has been actively engaged in pursuing the development of a second level unit for children with Asperger's syndrome at the school referred to by the Deputy. The management authority of the school in question has accepted a proposal to host such a unit and this is now being established in the school.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Physical education is part of the prescribed curriculum for primary schools. Second level schools should offer a physical education programme based on an approved syllabus with teaching hours registered on the school timetable. At second level, the phasing in of a revised syllabus at junior cycle level for physical education — non-examination — commenced in September 2003. The syllabuses...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 408 and 409 together. The new policy framework that I will publish shortly will put in place a new integrated programme of supports that will bring together, and build upon, existing policy interventions and initiatives for schools and school communities with concentrated levels of disadvantage. It will be introduced on a phased basis, starting in the next...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers is included in a devolved initiative under the 2005 capital programme for the provision of a new three classroom school on a greenfield site. The school authority has accepted the funding offered for this purpose. In the circumstances, my Department does not intend reviewing the allocation.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The application for major capital funding from the school authority to which the Deputy refers was assessed against the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects, which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The application has been assigned a band rating and its progress is being considered in the context of the school building...