Results 2,841-2,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 669 and 738 of 14 June 2005. The adult education guidance initiative is funded by the Department of Education and Science under the national development plan. Phase IV of the initiative is due to commence in September 2005. Applications for the funding of pilot projects under phase IV of the initiative were invited from statutory and voluntary...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science is engaging in discussions with Educate Together about annual funding. The provision of some additional funding in 2005 to meet the immediate issues of concern to Educate Together, as well as its longer term needs, is under discussion. The current level of funding that the Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 520 together. The appeal for additional funding by the school in question will be considered at the next meeting of an appeals board comprising senior officers of the Department of Education and Science. The decision of the appeals board will be communicated to the management authority of the school as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school in question is included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and the Giving Children an Even Break programme. Under the disadvantaged areas scheme, the school benefits from an additional ex-quota teaching post, additional capitation grants of €38.09 per capita, a refund of the television licence fee and eligibility for 95% building grants for building projects. Designated...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school in question never had an allocation of one resource teacher for every 80 pupils as the Deputy suggests. It is included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and the Giving Children an Even Break programme. Under the disadvantaged areas scheme the school benefits from an additional ex-quota teaching post, additional capitation grants of €38.09 per capita, a refund of the television...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The records of the Department of Education and Science show that, based on an enrolment of 134 pupils, the school in question received a general allocation of one teaching post to be based in the school. Consequently, I am not clear from the question what difficulties this presents for the school. It is open to the school to liaise with the Department about the matter.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Education and Science has issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their teaching allocation under the new general allocation model for the 2005-06 school year. The letter also includes details of any clustering arrangements that may apply. I can confirm that the school in question has received a teaching allocation of 12.5 part-time...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have not previously been made aware of this project. I have therefore asked the national educational psychological service, NEPS, to find out more about it and to advise me on its potential to improve the mental health of young people in schools.

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary and secondary schools under two separate schemes. One is the 1978-79 scheme under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. These secretaries are paid directly through my Department's payroll. The 1978-79 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. The 1978-79...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have included the building project for the school in question in my recently announced list of school projects to be progressed through architectural planning in 2005. The building project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning stage 4/5, detail design-bill of quantities. The stage submission is currently with the Department and will be...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 530 together. The practice of looking after the personal and social well-being of children under the care of a school, encompasses a wide variety of issues, including health, social and moral education, behaviour management and emotional support. My Department provides a range of supports which assist the pastoral care systems in place in individual...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their teaching allocation under the new general allocation model for the 2005-06 school year. The letter also includes details of any clustering arrangements that may apply. The three schools in question have been arranged in different cluster arrangements under the new model. I wish to inform...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria. The project will be considered in the context of the school buildings and modernisation programme 2005-09.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs supports and decides on the level of support appropriate to the school. Seventy-one special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and will be a focal point of contact for...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 and 548 together. The school planning section of my Department has received the local inspector's report on the proposed amalgamation of the schools to which the Deputy refers. The next step is to carry out a technical inspection of schools and sites in question to establish which, if either, of the existing schools would be suitable as a host for the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: While a number of full-time special needs assistants, SNAs, have availed of unpaid leave of absence, there is no formal career break scheme in place at present. SNAs are employed directly by the managerial authority of each school and currently, any decision to grant leave of absence without pay for a period of at least one year is a matter for the relevant school authority. My Department...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Applications for special needs assistant support are now dealt with by the National Council for Special Education which processes applications for support from schools and communicates the decisions directly to the schools. The responsibility for the recruitment and employment of individual special needs assistants is a matter for each school authority.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The number of pupils availing of school transport services in a school year varies from time to time. Accordingly, the following figures are averages of pupils availing of the service within the years mentioned. Year Primary post-primary pupils 1997 64,000 96,000 1998 61,000 93,000 1999 59,000 86,000 2000 60,000 79,000 2001 60,000 80,000 2002 59,000 77,000 2003...

Written Answers — Overseas Students: Overseas Students (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The report on the Internationalisation of Irish Education Services was completed by the working group in September 2004 and was published in November 2004. My Department is continuing to engage in a consultation process with the main stakeholders in the sector with a view to informing the implementation process and the preparation of the necessary legislation to establish education Ireland....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school 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. In the current school year the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy comprises of a principal and ten mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 273...