Results 241-260 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

School League Tables. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: In my view it is desirable that parents have information about schools that is meaningful, fair and fully rounded. At present, this information can often be anecdotal and based on hearsay. More recently, we have seen the introduction of an unofficial form of league tables based upon third level entry patterns. All this simply reflects that we have steered away from a real and honest public...

School League Tables. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I welcome the Deputy's acceptance of the net point. Most people in education agree on steering clear of only using examination results as a measure of a school's performance. The purpose of the scheme is to recognise schools that do what they are supposed to, taking into account all the circumstances mentioned by the Deputy, and provide maximum information so that parents and students are...

Special Educational Needs. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I am committed to the sustained development of supports and services for children with special educational needs. Approximately 1,000 applications for resources for new entrant pupils were considered on a priority basis for the current school year. Each application was responded to by, or shortly after, 1 September last. As a consequence, a further 131 resource teacher posts and 282 special...

Special Educational Needs. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: Supports are available in many schools as part of the exercise we have carried out. The 1,000 applications processed for the most needy children at the beginning of the current school year related to children who were entering schools for the first time or who were attending schools in which support was not available for special needs children. The 4,000 applications on hand in the Department...

Special Educational Needs. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I am absolutely committed to them and that is why I am trying to ensure they do not have to go through this again. I have had numerous meetings with a variety of interested parties to try to put in place a system that meets the requirements of special needs higher incidence children so that their parents do not have to get a psychological assessment report and that, from next September,...

Teacher Union Conferences. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 121 together. I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight on the question of my attendance at the forthcoming teacher union conferences. The teacher unions are important bodies in Irish education and it is highly desirable that they should have a significant role in the debate on the major issues facing our education system. It is equally...

Teacher Union Conferences. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: On at least 30 occasions in the past 12 months, I stated publicly that our education system owes a huge debt of gratitude to all teacher, past and present, for the education system. That is not publicised that often, but I have the records and can stand over it. I have nothing but the height of regard for teachers. I accept that the vast majority of teachers do a good job. Like politicians,...

Teacher Union Conferences. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: While I have never sought confrontation with the unions, I will not back off on a benchmarking agreement which was freely entered into. That is what they did. While I have a duty and a responsibility to teachers, I also have a duty to pupils and parents. I cannot become a spokesman for teachers or any other education interest group except in particular circumstances. I want the effective,...

Teacher Union Conferences. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I will not say in the House. My press office was provided with many quotes as part of an attempt to stir things up. The other two unions went about their business calmly. While the matter came into the public arena, it was not through me. I wanted to make the benchmarking payment to teachers as quickly as possible, but I could not until the agreements with the unions were finalised formally....

Career Guidance. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that as part of my recent announcement of an extension of the guidance enhancement initiative for a further two years, I am creating an additional 30 guidance posts under this initiative from the commencement of the coming school year. These 30 posts will be additional to the 630 whole-time equivalent career guidance posts already in place in the second level...

Career Guidance. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: Deputy Stanton, the Minister of State, Deputy de Valera, and I are former guidance counsellors.

Career Guidance. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I was one of the career guidance counsellors cut from the school system in 1985 when the then Minister decided that schools with 250 pupils should not have a full-time guidance counsellor. My guidance and counselling hours were reduced from full time to only three hours. I do not want to revert to this. As resources and personnel permit, I would like to return to the circumstances that...

Career Guidance. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: While I accept that the Deputy is not suggesting this, I would not like to blame the second level guidance and counselling service for the rate of drop-out from third level.

Career Guidance. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I have acknowledged that the Deputy did not do this. While there is a view that some blame is attached to second level, third level institutions could do much more in this regard. The national education psychological service must be strengthened. I want to bring this to its full complement. I want to introduce and honour a commitment on the chaplaincy service. While I want to improve guidance...

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: I appreciate that schools and others have experienced difficulties with the vetting of potential staff members who may have unsupervised access to children. To address this deficit, a cross-governmental working group was established to consider proposals for the reform of vetting by the Garda Síochána. The group is chaired by a chief superintendent and includes officials from the...

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: The information communicated to the House by a Minister or Minister of State is that which is available to him or her at a specific time. I have answered questions in the House since Christmas and indicated to the Deputy my belief that the committee would make its report before the end of February. That is what has happened. The report has been finalised and is with the Garda Commissioner and...

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: There is a vetting procedure in place in respect of escorts and special needs assistants, SNAs. With regard to other——

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: There is a vetting procedure. I have answered the question.

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: No. There is only a vetting procedure in respect of those to whom I referred. All appointments made to schools are done by local people. That minimises but does not eliminate the risk.

Vetting Procedures. (30 Mar 2004)

Noel Dempsey: On the next occasion Deputy Stanton comes across a case where the management of a primary school has appointed a stranger, will he inform me of the fact?