Results 2,761-2,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The level of resources being made available to support students with special educational needs in the second level system has grown significantly in recent years. In the current school year, my Department has allocated approximately 632 whole-time equivalent special needs assistants to second level schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. This represents an increase of...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am delighted to have this opportunity in the Seanad to begin the process of debating the Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004. On Committee and Report Stages in the Dáil, the Bill received wide cross-party support. I was gratified to have such support from Members of the Lower House, many of whom, like myself, have declared links to the Dublin Institute of Technology — some as...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí ar fad a ghlac pháirt sa díospóireacht. It is always a pleasure to come to the Seanad, if only to compare the type of debate with that of the Dáil. With the latter House perhaps having more local representatives, much of the debate there focused on the local representation and community involvement, whereas in the Seanad the debate revolved largely...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It shows that we have all had some sort of involvement. Whatever it was, in light of the debate that has taken place here tonight, we can all claim due credit in some way for part of the development of the Dublin Institute of Technology. Everyone in this House recognises the role it plays and the challenge before it when based on a single site, when it can deliver even more for the local...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Order for Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: This issue has been dealt with on a number of occasions and, as I said then, the position of the Department of Education and Science is very similar to other Departments sponsoring tribunals of inquiry, whether the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, etc. I know the Deputies have said it is quite different in so far...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I remain to be convinced that a change of name would make a positive difference to the working of the commission. Dedicated staff are working on it in this Department and there is dedicated funding for it. The relationship is good and the process is working extremely well. Were we to change it at this stage, we would have to brief a new group of civil servants and probably have to transfer...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is working extremely well. The aim of all of us, including the judge, is to deal with this process as fairly and efficiently as possible. It is working satisfactorily at present with its current sponsor and that is the way to leave it.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I did not say it was about me.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Not for the first time I find myself agreeing with Deputy Finian McGrath. However, I will not accept the amendments because the thrust of what they propose to achieve is already covered in the Bill. One of the commission's primary functions is to conduct an inquiry into the abuse of children in institutions, ascertain why it occurred and who was responsible. That mandate includes establishing...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Having met the survivors' groups, there is no evidence that they do not trust the Department of Education and Science. Similarly, there is no evidence that they do not trust the current system or the way in which it is developing. Nor was there any demand from them to move this commission to the Department of the Taoiseach — the opposite was the case. The survivors' groups would prefer that...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: We also discussed this matter fully on Committee Stage. While we are the legislators and determine what goes into law, that should be done from the point of view of ensuring the legislation is workable and will work well. For that reason we are guided by some of the views of Mr. Justice Ryan and of the members of his commission who are doing this work on a day to day basis. When he reviewed...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Deputy O'Sullivan said I keep referring to the commission. This legislation is all about a commission. Were the commission to continue the way it was going, it would take another 11 years to finish its work. That is not just a cost factor from the point of view of the State. Many of the people who would need or want to be able to tell anything may not survive the 11 years. The longer the...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Yes.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: This issue goes to the heart of what the commission can and should be able to achieve. It was the view of the Government in establishing the commission that its inquiry should focus primarily on the wrong or malfunction in the system and not on individual wrongdoers. It should determine what happened at a general level rather than making findings of abuse in individual cases. It is not for...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The commission and each of the committees has the power to invite further evidence from a person who has already appeared before or made a submission to it. As they already have that power, the amendment does not add anything.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: This education fund is worth €12.7 million. It is a substantial amount of money and it should go a long way to meeting the educational needs of the survivors and their families. The needs of each individual will be different so it would be wrong to specify in a narrow fashion which courses should be funded. The independent board will publish the criteria for the payment of grants and make...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is a review system within the board. Should someone not get satisfaction there, he or she can go to the Ombudsman. The board will have to compile an annual report, which must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. That will give us an opportunity to point out if the fund is being spent too quickly. Laying the report before the Houses gives us an extra safeguard.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand the appropriate way to make freedom of information provision is for the Department of Finance to include it on its list. As soon as the board has been established, we will ask the Department to include the board in the list of bodies covered by the Freedom of Information Act.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Yes.