Results 261-280 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Under my Department's weighted system of allocation, the appropriate level of special needs teaching support is determined by the schools' enrolment figures and based on the following criteria: in the most disadvantaged schools, as per the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs will be allocated for every 80 pupils to cater for the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that my Department has established a team to review SNA support in mainstream national schools generally. The team recently commenced its task and will assess the levels and deployment of such support to ensure that the needs of children are being met in the context of new applications for resources for the school. I am endeavouring to ensure that the review and the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupils involved and the nature and level of support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service. The...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Second level pupils with dyslexia are normally integrated into ordinary classes. In such cases they may receive additional tutorial support from the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teachers. My Department also allocates additional teaching support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Applications for...

Written Answers — Education Policy: Education Policy (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is aware of the recommendations for the education sector contained in the CORI justice commission's Policy Briefing on Budget Choices. These recommendations will be considered by my Department in the context of the Estimates process for 2005.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's higher education maintenance grant schemes, students from this State who are attending undergraduate courses in the UK, including courses in nursing, can apply for maintenance grants in respect of approved courses at higher national diploma level or higher, which are pursued in colleges approved for the purpose of the schemes. Under the terms of the schemes,...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no plans to establish a school transport service to the school in question for those pupils residing in the area referred to by the Deputy. The pupils may, if they so wish, apply for concessionary catchment boundary transport and have their applications assessed in the normal way.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has recently conveyed its decision to the relevant transport liaison officer. The Deputy will be aware that under the terms of the post-primary school transport scheme, routes are planned so that, in general, no pupil will have more than two miles to travel to a pick-up point. Furthermore, where eligible pupils attend a school at a centre other than the post-primary centre that...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: In December 2001, the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, produced a position paper on special educational needs as its contribution to the debate on the issue. In the position paper, it recommended that schools should be adequately resourced in the first instance to be able to cater for most of the range of abilities that they could expect to find among their pupil populations....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The extension-refurbishment project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 2 rating. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects which did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme with a view to including them as part of a multi-annual programme from 2005. All projects are...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department received additional documentation in support of the application referred to by the Deputy on 22 October. This will be reviewed by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, as quickly as possible. The Deputy may be aware that my Department has established a team to review special needs assistant support in mainstream schools generally. The team commenced its task...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that an application for an increase in the level of special needs assistant, SNA, support from part-time to full-time has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application is currently being considered and a response will be conveyed to the school at the earliest possible date.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The application for resource teaching support received from the school on behalf of the pupil in question was reviewed by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. The outcome of this review was that the needs of this pupil should be catered for under the proposed new system of resource teaching allocation. This pupil's special educational needs, SEN, are in the high incidence...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is considering an application for special needs assistant support to cater for the needs of a number of pupils in the school referred to by the Deputy, including the pupil in question. My officials have been liaising with my Department's inspectorate regarding the matter and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities at the earliest date.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, maintenance grants are not payable to candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree and are pursuing a second undergraduate degree. Similarly, tuition fees under the free fees initiative, are not payable in respect of a second period of college attendance on a course at the same level. These restrictions apply to every student...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together. The Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001 and the Composition of Vocational Education Committee Regulations 2004 represent a new departure by giving a statutory right to parents and guardians to participate in the election of members to VECs. Under the Act parents of students, who have not reached the age of 18 years and who are...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Where pupils with special educational needs enrol in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to my Department for additional teaching and-or special needs assistant support for these pupils. My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational educational committees to cater for pupils with special...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The refurbishment-extension project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 2 rating. My Department's technical staff are currently examining the stage 2-3 documentation, which pertains to detailed plans and costs. The school authorities will be kept advised of developments. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: A dedicated internal audit unit has been established since 1990 in the Department of Education and Science. The internal audit unit is responsible, inter alia, for establishing that the accounting systems, procedures and controls operated by the Department are being complied with and are capable of realising policy objectives in an economic, efficient and effective manner. As part of its...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is currently nearing completion of an examination of all building projects on hand in line with the project prioritisation criteria that were recently revised in consultation with the education partners. The proposed project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in this review. I expect to be in a position to provide an update in...