Results 3,521-3,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its teaching timetable and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The rules for allocating teaching resources provide...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 521 together. My Department is inquiring into the detail of the works carried out at the school to which the Deputy refers and will contact the school authority directly on the matter. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 520 together. 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. It does not have a role in the terms and conditions of employment of special needs teachers or special needs assistants which are...

Written Answers — Stádas Míbhuntáiste: Stádas Míbhuntáiste (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Tógfaidh me Ceisteanna Uimh. 305 agus 306 le chéile. Seoladh an clár "Giving Children an Even Break" sa bhliain 2001 agus tá sé ann anois in ionad an phróisis a bhí i bhfeidhm cheana ina ndearnadh scoileanna a shainiú chun réigiúin um mhíbhuntáiste oideachasúil a fhreastal. Tá an cur chuige sa Roinn anois níos foirfe chun a dheimhniú go dtabharfar aire ar leith do na daltaí...

Written Answers — Leibhéil Leitheoireachta: Leibhéil Leitheoireachta (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Tá polasaí na Roinne i leith na léitheoireachta bunaithe ar a bhfuil ráite i gCuraclam na Bunscoile (1999). I gcás na Gaeilge agus an Bhéarla, cé go n-aithnítear tábhacht príomhá na héisteachta agus an labhartha, aithnítear gur scil ríthábhachtach í an léitheoireacht, eochair a osclaíonn doras don leanbh i dtreo na scéalaíochta, i dtreo na samhlaíochta agus i dtreo an...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The post-primary curriculum for the study of Irish has the capacity to cater for a wide diversity of ability. Nevertheless, provision exists for exemption from the study of Irish in limited special circumstances. The guidelines in relation to an exemption from the study of Irish at post-primary level are set out in circular letter M10/94. Under the terms of this circular, my Department has...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department proposes to build a new 16 classroom primary school in Castledermot. The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding site acquisitions generally, has acquired a site for this development. Progress on the project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (5 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. The school planning section also received an application for major capital funding. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The pupil teacher ratio, PTR, is calculated by dividing the enrolment of a primary school on 30 September of a given school year by the total number of full-time teaching posts based in the school. The most recent data on pupil teacher ratios available to my Department refers to the 2004-05 school year. For the 2004-05 school year the PTR of the 35 schools referred to by the Deputy were as...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation scheme has been announced under which schools have been provided with learning support-resource teaching, LS-RT, hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for pupils with high incidence special educational needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. In May 2005, the three schools in question were each notified of their...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Act: Residential Institutions Redress Act (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides a statutory scheme of financial redress for persons who, as children, were abused while in residential institutional care. The scheme applies in respect of institutions specified in the Schedule to the Act. Section 4 of the Act provides that the Minister for Education and Science may, by order, provide for the insertion in the Schedule of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 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 or not 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...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently engaged in the roll-out of broadband Internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This connectivity is being provided via a schools national broadband network supported by HEAnet, which will provide managed Internet access, email, security controls, content filtering and other services designed to enhance the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 316 to 318, inclusive, together. There has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in the provision of resources, including accommodation, for special needs pupils. I am continuing to prioritise provision to ensure that all pupils with special needs are adequately resourced to enable them to meet their full potential. On my plans to deliver...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (5 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of a review of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of the schools in Lucan would be a matter that should be raised in the first instance with the local authority. Local authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools and should insure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local school children. It is open to the boards of...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, which will be introduced on a phased basis, starting during the current school year, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people, from pre-school to completion of upper second-level education — three to 18 years — from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (6 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school, which is an all-boys senior primary school, will close on a phased basis culminating in final closure in June 2007. To facilitate pupils who would ordinarily have attended this school, the Department of Education and Science has sanctioned a request for a change of status from a neighbouring school. This will enable the enrolment of senior boys into this school which, heretofore,...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 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 — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (6 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of the Department of Education and Science wrote to the chairperson of the group proposing the development of the school in question in July 2005. This letter requested clarification on where exactly it was intended to establish the school. A response from the chairperson was received later that month indicating a preferred location. A further letter recently...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (6 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The findings from the HEA report on participation in higher education in 2003 show that the Irish participation rate in higher education stands at 54% up from 44% from the year 1998 and the Government has increased third level places by 30,000 since 1998. I am committed to increasing this participation rate. The capacity to realise this increase lies within the system as a whole, rather than...