Results 3,341-3,360 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann has confirmed that the provision of school transport to the school referred to by the Deputy was withdrawn in 2002 as no eligible pupils were offering for transport. In the event that an application is received in the future, it will be considered subject to the prescribed terms and conditions of my Department's school transport scheme. In relation to the specific family referred...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the last seven years my Department has spent €42.8 million on the rental of temporary school accommodation, mainly in primary schools, see following table for breakdown by year. However, the information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy as the financial records maintained for expenditure on temporary school accommodation is not separated into categories...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has since 1998 issued a number of grants to recognised first and second level schools, under the Schools IT2000 and Blueprint for the Future of ICT in Education initiatives, to assist in the development of school ICT infrastructure. These grants were expended according to development priorities set locally by school authorities in their school ICT plan and as such neither...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department are considering two options as possible solutions to the long term accommodation needs of the school in question. The first option is the provision of a new school on a greenfield site. The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department are in ongoing discussions with the management authorities of the schools to which the Deputy refers regarding a possible amalgamation. My Department is making every effort to facilitate the process in question. Due to the requirement for sensitivity and confidentiality in relation to these discussions, it would not be appropriate to...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the school planning section of my Department is in receipt of correspondence in relation to the possible establishment of an all-Irish post-primary school in the area to which the Deputy refers. The school planning section wrote to the proposers last July seeking clarification on the proposal. This clarification is now to hand and the matter is being considered in the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation system has been announced under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. My officials have been in contact with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which has...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's 2005 third level student maintenance grant schemes the position is that, generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants where they satisfy the prescribed conditions with regard to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. A mature candidate is defined as a student who is at...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to confirm for the Deputy that the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, has confirmed that there are no applications in hand for additional special needs assistant, SNA, support in the school in question. Therefore, as the pupils being catered for by the SNAs in question have left the school, there is no provision under which the SNAs can be retained and the board of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Primary and post-primary pupils who are ineligible for school transport on the basis of the distance requirement may be offered transport on a concessionary fare-paying basis. Such pupils are not guaranteed school transport for every year of their schooling, rather the granting of such concessionary transport is dependent on the availability of additional capacity on the buses used to...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have made arrangements to have the information requested to be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for a new school building has been received from the management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project is being considered for progression in the context of the school building and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department sanctioned a special class for autism at the school in question. A letter confirming the sanction issued to the school on 2 June 2005. Furthermore a detailed letter also issued to the school on 6 September 2005 from the special education section outlining the Department's response to various issues that the school had raised with it. In...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The scope of work referred to by the Deputy is appropriate for consideration under the summer works scheme, SWS. Details of the SWS for 2006 were recently advertised and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 14 October 2005.

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1196 to 1199, inclusive, together. I can confirm that in relation to the pupil referred to by the Deputy, the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, recently attended a meeting with the principal of the school in question and the educational welfare office, EWO, to discuss an appropriate educational placement there. I understand that at this stage...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Agreement has been reached between the trustees of the three existing post-primary schools in Skibbereen to amalgamate into a single school. The accommodation needs of the amalgamated school will be met by way of the provision of a new school on a greenfield site. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In order to be eligible for school transport at primary level, pupils must live at least 3.2 km from, and be attending, their nearest national school or school of amalgamation. Concessionary fare paying transport may be offered provided the written agreement of the board of management of the nearest national school or school of amalgamation is obtained and no additional State cost is...

Written Answers — Medical Education: Medical Education (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, a working group on undergraduate medical education and training, representative of education and health interests, has been reviewing the organisation and delivery of medical training and education in Ireland. I am currently considering the broad range of recommendations made by the working group, in consultation with my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The measures being implemented by my Department to increase capacity on school transport services and the associated cost of those measures is as follows: Regarding the hiring of 250 extra vehicles, there is a €2 million recurrent cost for the remainder of 2005; a €5 million to €6 million full year recurrent cost from 2006; and no capital cost. Regarding the purchase of 50 second hand...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Sep 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post primary level in any given area entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing and other developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. As part of this process, my Department is included among the prescribed...