Results 2,041-2,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarships scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses. The higher education grants scheme is...

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

Mary Hanafin: Individual school management authorities are not required to report to my Department on incidences of bullying and the information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. However, I am acutely aware of the issue of bullying in schools and my Department has in place a multi-faceted strategy to tackle the issue. The education of students in both primary and post-primary...

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

Mary Hanafin: I have now announced the first phases of the 2005 schools building and modernisation programme. The details are 122 major school building projects countrywide, including 89 primary school projects, which will prepare tenders and move to construction during the next 12 to 15 months, an additional 171 in the number of primary schools that will be invited to deliver their building projects on...

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

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at post-primary level in recent years. At post-primary level, the pupil-teacher ratio has been reduced from 16:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 13.6:1 in the 2003-04 school year. In line with Government policy, my Department will continue to provide further reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio within available resources and...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469, 481 and 482 together. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate safeguards in place. Individual school...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 470 and 479 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. If the Deputy would like information on a particular school, I would be happy to provide it.

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

Mary Hanafin: Applications for capital funding from schools in County Kildare are being considered as part of a review of all projects that did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme. Under this review, all projects are being assessed against the published prioritisation criteria that were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. Each project...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a number of large-scale building projects for schools in County Kildare have been approved to progress under the school building programme for 2005. Specifically, a new school building for Scoil Uí Riada, Kilcock and extension projects to Scoil Bhride, Athgarvan and St. Patrick's national school, Morristown, Newbridge have been approved to go to tender...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 475 together. Teacher allocations to second levels schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its timetable and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. Apart...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 476 and 484 together. The mainstream staffing of a primary school, including primary schools in County Kildare, is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for the 2005-06...

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

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. However, if the Deputy has a query about any specific school, I would be happy to provide the information for him.

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

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. However, if the Deputy has a query about any specific school, I would be happy to provide the information for him.

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

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at both primary and post-primary levels in recent years. At primary level, the ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in the 2003-04 school year. At post-primary level the pupil-teacher ratio has been reduced from 16:1 to 13.6:1 in the same period. In line with Government policy, my Department will...

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

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the teaching and supports provided for schools for pupils with special educational needs in this country compare favourably with the practices in other jurisdictions, including European jurisdictions. In responding to the needs of pupils with special educational needs, my Department implements a range of supports in schools which continue to be reviewed in consultation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My colleague, the Minister for Finance, provided a capital envelope of €555 million in respect of education PPPs for the period 2005 to 2008. My officials are currently examining how this may be best utilised. A number of issues will have to be determined before I make a decision on the allocation of these funds. These include the type of PPP model to be used, the level of operation and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for additional accommodation for an autism unit has recently been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy. This application is being examined and a response will issue to the school authority as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The pupil referred to in the details supplied resides 4.8 km from the school in question, and 1.4 km from the bus route serving the school. The pupil's family requested an extension of the school bus service. An extension may be approved on payment by the family of the cost involved. Bus Éireann, which administers the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has indicated that the...

Written Answers — Traffic Calming Measures: Traffic Calming Measures (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of speed control measures are outside the vested site area of the school to which the Deputy refers and should therefore be raised with the local authority. It will be open to the school's board of management to make an application under the 2006 summer works scheme for necessary safety measures within the school's boundary.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension and refurbishment has been received from the management authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy and has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. The proposed project at the school referred to will be progressed in the context of the Schools Building...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The enrolment policy for the new school referred to by the Deputy is a matter for its board of management and is to be decided in consultation with the other primary schools in that town. Construction work is well advanced on this new 16 classroom primary school. The school building also includes provision for two special classrooms for children with autism. Approximately half of the...