Results 2,141-2,160 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that a review has been conducted in recent months to establish whether primary schools have the level of SNA support that they need for children in their care, whether they have resources which they no longer need or whether they need extra resources. The review has found that some schools no longer have the care needs for which the SNA was originally sanctioned,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand from the relevant vocational education committee that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is enrolled and in attendance at post-primary school. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply for additional teaching support and-or special needs assistant support for the pupil. My Department allocates additional...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the general allocation system, GAS, has now been completed. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which has been reviewed to take account of difficulties that it may have caused for smaller schools. I can confirm that 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to facilitate the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All primary schools receive an annual minor works grant from my Department. Each school gets a standard rate of €3,809 together with a per pupil rate of €12.70. It is open to the school management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy to use this devolved grant for the purchase of physical education equipment provided it is not required for more urgent works.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on the 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule, agreed between my Department and the education partners. The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 10 of the Education Act 1998 provides for the recognition of new schools by the Minister. The application procedure for the process involved was revised in 2002 based on the recommendations in the report of the Commission on School Accommodation, Criteria and Procedures for the Recognition of New Primary Schools. The application procedure involves a number of stages, including formal...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with section 23 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 2001, officers of Departments at or above deputy secretary level must make a statutory declaration that they are tax-compliant within one month of taking up office. In addition, such officers must forward to the Standards in Public Office Commission a tax clearance certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners within nine...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together. The Deputy will be aware that a facilitator, Dr. Tom McCarthy, was appointed to assist in the development of a long-term plan for the provision of primary and post-primary school accommodation in the Portlaoise area. Following receipt of Dr. McCarthy's recommendations, it was decided that educational provision at post-primary level...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 425 together. Currently, leaving certificate history is examined by means of a terminal written examination, which takes place under examination hall conditions. Candidates answering through Irish are eligible for the award of bonus marks in accordance with rule 29 of the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools. In 2006 and subsequent years, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department supports the delivery of music programmes outside of schools through allocations to vocational educational committees under the Co-operation with Other Institutions heading. Students attending courses run by vocational education committees pay a fee to the relevant VEC. My Department pays the salaries of the teachers in the case of school-based music tuition and there is...

Written Answers — Young Persons in Employment: Young Persons in Employment (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board 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 school...

Written Answers — Education for Asylum Seekers: Education for Asylum Seekers (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 428 and 429 together. Adults in the following categories may participate on courses in the VEC sector: EU nationals; persons who have refugee status in Ireland; persons in the State as the spouse of an EU national, where the EU national has moved from one country to another within the EU to work; persons who have been granted leave to remain in the State on...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the general allocation system, GAS, has now been completed. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which has been reviewed to take account of difficulties that it may have caused for smaller schools. Some 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to facilitate the implementation of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for ancillary accommodation which was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. Under the criteria, schools with a deficit of mainstream classroom accommodation are afforded a higher band rating than those with a deficit of ancillary accommodation. The 2005 devolved grant...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 432 and 433 together. Proposals for extending the Freedom of Information Acts are being considered in the Department of Finance.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for temporary accommodation in October of 2004. In the context of the available funding for temporary accommodation and the number of applications for that funding, it was not possible to approve all applications received and only those with an absolute and demonstrated need for additional accommodation were approved. All schools are required, as...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 436 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. If the Deputy has a query about a particular school, I will be happy to answer it. Data from previous years are out of date but can be supplied to the Deputy if he so wishes.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Correspondence has been received from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. The matter is being considered in the school planning section of my Department and a response will issue to the school authority shortly.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under the summer works scheme for 2005. The application was unsuccessful because the works largely related to maintenance matters which should be funded from the schools devolved maintenance grant under the grant scheme for minor works. The school authority appealed this decision and, following a review, the original decision was...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Expenditure by my Department on the purchase of prefabricated buildings in County Tipperary includes the supply and installation of prefabricated buildings, associated site works, and other costs such as compliance with planning permission conditions, professional fees, connections for water, electricity and sewage. County Tipperary Primary Prefabricated Post-Primary Prefabricated...