Results 3,101-3,120 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I do not because the consultative group should hear views and then make sure they are taken on board as much as possible.

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The subsection is broad enough as it states, "The consultative group shall report to the chairperson at such time as it considers appropriate". There may be times when it will not make a written report or when something has arisen and the group meets the chairperson to update him or her. However, if a provision is inserted that a report of such a meeting should be circulated to all the...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My position is clear enough.

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The chairperson of the consultative group will have to be as skilled as the chief executive of the agency but in a different way. A person will be sought who can organise a listening process to take on all the views of the various stakeholders covered by the legislation and assimilate them. It is provided in the legislation that the chief executive of the agency could decide to be the...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The chairperson will be designated by the chief executive of the agency or a person nominated by him or her, not the Minister. I do not have a role in this, good, bad or indifferent. In the election of such bodies, one sector of a vested interest could come together to ensure its man gets the job whereas I hope the chief executive, if he takes the position, will be above all that and will see...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Senator Fitzgerald for his kind comments. He and I soldiered together in the VEC and DIT, starting exactly 20 years ago this month. Coming from the perspective of the Department of Education and Science, we probably treated the chief executive of the agency as a teacher who could be seconded while a member of the Oireachtas. While that does not apply generally across the Civil Service...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science is much more generous in the way it treats people.

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: From the outset I was conscious of ensuring we got the balance right in the definition of the Grangegorman neighbourhood. There was a long debate about this in the other House because there was concern to ensure that those in closest proximity to the site would have a greater say than those who live further from it. In response to that debate we tabled an amendment to the definition of the...

Seanad: Grangegorman Development Agency Bill 2004: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Members for their careful consideration of the Bill. It is the better for the debate that took place here and in the Dáil and some important sections have been improved by virtue of the points raised in both Houses. I join Senators in thanking my departmental officials who have put an enormous amount of time into consulting with interested parties on this and ensuring the legislation...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Youth Work Act provides a legal framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services to be organised by the Minister for Education and Science, the vocational education committees and national and regional youth work organisations. Section 1 of the Act provides for sections to be commenced at different stages. Sections 2 to 7, inclusive, 17, 18 and 24 have been commenced to...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The qualifications of the person concerned were assessed by the registration council to determine if they were suitable for the purposes of post-primary teaching in this country. They were deemed suitable for the purposes of teaching French but not for teaching German. Following receipt of additional information regarding her qualifications, the case is being reviewed. It is expected that the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs, was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs, such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties, are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Data are not readily available on pupil-teacher ratios in each national school due to teacher-sharing arrangements among national schools. However, data on average class sizes, excluding traveller and special class pupils integrated in ordinary classes, are contained in the file for 2004-05 for most of the schools specified by the Deputy. In the case of three schools, which are special...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has sanctioned a temporary teaching post to the school in question for the 2005-06 school year following consultation with the local special educational needs organiser and the Department inspectorate. Verbal sanction has been given to the school authorities and a formal letter will issue in the coming days. The SENO will keep the situation under review.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department accepts that Mullingar is a developing town in the medium to long term and is taking a number of steps to ensure that its future needs are met in a timely fashion. First, progress on 13 large scale building projects is being considered under the school building programme from 2005 onwards. This involves a combination of extensions, refurbishments, and the provision of new...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 423 together. All vehicles operating under the school transport scheme are required to meet the statutory regulations as laid down by the Department of Transport. Where vehicles have over eight adult seats and are more than one year old, they are required to pass that Department's annual roadworthiness test. In addition, Bus Éireann vehicles are...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department does not have an application for an extension from the school to which the Deputy refers. However, a new planning model for educational infrastructure was recently introduced to ensure that in future school provision will be decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Children with acknowledged special needs are generally identified through the psychological services of the health service and of the voluntary bodies prior to the enrolment of such children in primary schools. Children who manifest very special needs in school and who have not been previously assessed by a psychologist and are brought to the attention of a NEPS psychologist by the principal...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A major focus for the Department is the roll out of broadband Internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry, following the establishment of a three-year, €18 million joint Government-IBEC-TIF fund. The broadband connectivity is being provided via a schools national broadband network supported by...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The project referred to by the Deputy is listed among the 122 large scale projects on the current school building programme announced in January for moving to tender and construction over a 12 to 15-month period. Planning permission for the new school was applied for in May 2005. It is envisaged that the tenders will be sought in the latter half of 2005, following which the project will...