Results 3,501-3,520 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The planning section of my Department meets on a regular basis with the planning department of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council with a view to identifying the need for additional educational provision and reserving sites for schools, where required. However, there are no plans at present for the provision of additional second level places in the vicinity of the school to which the Deputy...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers informed my Department in October 2004 of their intention to close due to falling enrolments. My Department's main role in a school closure is to ensure that the best interests of the pupils are looked after in the period up to the closure and that there will be sufficient pupil places in existing schools in the general area for pupils who...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I presume the Deputy is referring to an application for a place on a post-graduate programme for primary teacher training that is provided by a private college. The college referred to by the Deputy is a privately-owned institution providing a privately-run course which has been accredited by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, HETAC. In order for the course to secure HETAC...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 496 together. The recommendations in the N4-M4 area development plan will form a vital framework in which future decisions about school planning in this area will be made. Progress on individual recommendations will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards subject to the prioritisation criteria...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Oct 2005)

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. The number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule, and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The appeal board for mainstream staffing in primary schools adjudicates on...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (4 Oct 2005)

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

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. Since 1 January 2005, the NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is responsible for processing resource applications for children with special educational...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for the provision of additional temporary accommodation in 2004 to cater for its immediate needs. Grant aid was approved accordingly. My Department did not receive any application from the school for the current school year. Details of the additional accommodation scheme for the 2006-07 school year were recently published and it is open to the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is attending a special class at primary level some distance from her home and is sharing a transport service with a number of other pupils attending the same class. On foot of requests for the provision of a more direct transport route in respect of the pupil concerned, my Department requested a report from Bus Éireann, which organises...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the primary school transport scheme, children are eligible, subject to conditions, for free transport to their nearest national school or school of amalgamation. Pupils not attending their nearest national school may, subject to conditions, avail of concessionary fare-paying transport to another school, subject to spare accommodation being available on the bus and provided...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is now in place and, through its network of locally based special educational needs organisers, SENOs, it is responsible for addressing the needs of children with special educational needs, including the identification of suitable school placements. My officials have referred this matter to the NCSE and asked that...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The independent school transport appeals board met on 15 September 2005 and its decision was conveyed to the person referred to by the Deputy on 21 September 2005.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's higher education grants scheme a student is not eligible for grant assistance in respect of a second period of study at the same level irrespective of whether a grant was paid previously. The scheme also provides that grants may not be paid to candidates who already hold a postgraduate qualification and are pursuing a second postgraduate qualification....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 506 and 507 together. I can confirm for the Deputy that the pupil in question has access to a full-time shared special needs assistant. As regards the provision of resource teaching support for this pupil, an application was made to the relevant special educational needs organiser, SENO, of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The application in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation scheme has been introduced 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 — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Capital funding is being provided under the school building and modernisation programme 2005-2009 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or extended schools. Additionally I have provided for...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 512 together. The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. However, following...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy attract the same standard rate of capitation funding as is paid to other mainstream primary schools. The rates of capitation grants for primary schools have been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €121.58 with effect from 1 January 2004 and has been...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together. The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs. These responsibilities include the following: deciding on applications for additional...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (4 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 515, 516, 522 and 523 together. My Department established the special education support service, SESS, in September 2003 to develop and provide a range of supports to schools at primary and post-primary levels working with children with special educational needs, SEN. In addition to the range of services and support it provides to teachers and schools, the...