Results 281-300 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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 two rating. My Department's officials recently wrote to the school authorities requesting additional information on their submission on stages 1 to 3, which pertains to detailed costs and plans, and a response is awaited. My officials are nearing...

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

Mary Hanafin: 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 Deputy may be aware that my Department has established a team to review SNA support in mainstream schools generally. The team commenced its task recently. The team is assessing the levels and deployment of such...

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

Mary Hanafin: The lands at Beechpark Avenue are owned by my Department and were purchased in order to provide educational facilities for the children in the Castleknock area. The design of the permanent school building has allowed for continued usage by the club in question. However, in order to construct the building, it is possible that some of this land may be required in the short term for a builder's...

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

Mary Hanafin: The vacancy that exists in Galway is one of a number of current vacancies to be filled. In advance of a decision on the filling of these vacancies, my Department is carrying out an assessment of the role of the visiting teacher service in the context of the level and range of teacher supports now being provided for children with special educational needs. Account is also being taken of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: As I advised the Deputy on 20 October, a letter issued to the school authorities on 23 September 2004 confirming sanction of four hours per week of resource teaching support for a pupil in the school. Responsibility for recruiting a teacher to provide this support rests with the board of management of the school.

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department sanctioned a maximum grant level of €200,000 for the school in question as part of a devolved initiative under the 2004 school building programme. The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives them control of the building project. It is my understanding that the initial grant of...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, additional institutions may be included on the schedule of institutions contained in the Act, providing the facility was subject to inspection or regulation by a public body. To date, no records have been identified that would indicate that a public body had a regulatory or inspection function in relation to the...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received an application for a special needs assistant, SNA, for the pupil in question. The Deputy may be aware that my Department has established a team to review SNA support in mainstream schools generally. The team commenced its task recently. The team is assessing the levels and deployment of such support to ensure that the needs of children are being met in the context...

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

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, is in negotiations for the purchase of a site for a new school in Ballygarvan, County Cork. Due to the commercial sensitivities of site acquisitions, it is not proposed at this stage to identify specific sites to be acquired.

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for resource teaching support for the pupil referred to has been considered in my Department. The school authorities were informed in a letter dated 19 October 2004 that the pupil did not meet the criteria for specific speech and language disorder in the context of the supporting professional documentation submitted with the application. My officials will provide further...

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

Mary Hanafin: A board of management wishing to establish a special class for specific speech and language disorders should write to the special education section of my Department. The criteria for the establishment of special classes is outlined in Department Circular 9/99 which is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie. The provision of speech therapy support within specific speech and...

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

Mary Hanafin: As part of an expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €100,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional accommodation. The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives boards of management control of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. I have asked my officials to have the available information compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

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

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners. The agreement referred to above can only be deviated from where a school experiences rapid growth in its enrolment. In such cases, an additional post, referred to...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 and 477 together. I am conscious of difficulties that could arise in relation to the proposed mechanism for allocating resource teachers to primary schools, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I will be reviewing the proposed model to ensure that it provides an automatic response...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. I am conscious of difficulties that could arise in relation to the proposed mechanism for allocating resource teachers to primary schools, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I will be reviewing the proposed model to ensure that it provides an automatic response...

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

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been cleared to advanced architectural planning. It has a band 1 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 including the school in question with a view to including them as part of a multi-annual programme from...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received an application for special needs assistant, SNA, support to cater for the care needs of a pupils in the school. The school currently has an enrolment of 56 pupils and the staffing complement consists of a principal, 11 mainstream class teachers and 14 full-time SNAs. The application for additional SNA support is being considered in light of the current resources at...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (2 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act came into operation on 20 December 2001 and provides that a part-time employee has a pro rata entitlement to the conditions of employment of a qualified full-time employee. In the context of implementation of the Act a collective agreement was reached with the teacher unions in July 2003 which provides for pro-rata pay and conditions of service...

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

Mary Hanafin: All special needs assistants employed in primary schools are paid on an incremental salary scale. Part time special needs assistants are paid a salary based on the hours that they actually work. My Department has recently revised the rate of pay for all part time special needs assistants in primary schools and issued any arrears due for the period 1 September to 18 October 2004 in the...