Results 3,681-3,700 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The transition year programme is optional for each school. A minority of schools do not offer transition year at all. In others, it may be available as an optional programme for some pupils. Some schools, in deciding to offer the programme, require all pupils to take the programme in accordance with their curriculum provision across the school. This decision is made by school management. If a...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy has already been advised, 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 who...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. A report in regard to the circumstances of the case has been requested from Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. When this report has been received, my Department will advise the Deputy of the position. In regard to the general administration of the school transport scheme, the position is that...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a suitable site has been identified for the new school to which he refers. Contracts for the site in question are with the Chief State Solicitor's Office. Architectural planning for the new development has commenced and my Department is awaiting grant of planning permission for the building project.

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has approved funding towards the operation of a facility delivering an applied behaviour analysis model of education provision to children on the autistic spectrum at Rathfarnham. I understand the facility commenced operation in April 2005. My Department has no record of receiving an application for a similar facility at Bohernabreena. The National Council for Special Education,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for incremental credit was received by my Department from the person to whom the Deputy referred in April 2005. My Department examined this application and issued a decision to the person on 18 April 2005. Where an applicant is unhappy with the outcome of an application an independent appeals committee is available to consider appeals. This committee meets normally twice a...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the rural dimension of my Department's Giving children an even break programme aimed at combating educational disadvantage. The school receives additional financial resources to provide educational supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The new action plan for educational inclusion, entitled Delivering equality of opportunity in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together. My Department is keenly aware of the impending closure of the school to which the Deputy refers. It has been working over the summer months on a cost verification exercise in relation to all options presenting to accommodate the new school. This is a complex exercise given the type and level of level of information which must be gathered...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I will be happy to appoint a board of management when the outcome of the process of selection and nomination of board members is notified to my Department.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The two projects referred to by the Deputy are among the large scale projects on the current school building programme to move to tender and construction. I am anxious that both of these projects progress to tender and construction as early as possible in 2006 but it is too early in the design process to be certain of a date when building will commence.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding for a sports hall from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the school...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I fully appreciate the importance and value of the youth work programmes and services provided by youth organisations and in particular, the organisation referred to by the Deputy. This organisation is currently in receipt of funding under the special projects for youth scheme, administered by the youth affairs section of my Department. In this connection, I am pleased that financial...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is currently assessing the post rationalisation accommodation needs of the schools to which the Deputy refers. In this regard, the local inspector has been requested to provide long term projections for both schools to establish the extent of accommodation which will be needed to facilitate the amalgamation. In addition, a technical inspection has...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for additional accommodation for September 2005 was received from the school to which the Deputy refers. This application was unsuccessful as the school is accommodated in a mainstream post primary school in which enrolments have fallen. Therefore, it was considered that appropriate accommodation was available for use by the school in question. The position in relation to the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 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 2005. 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am most anxious that all children receive an education appropriate to their needs. As the Deputy may be aware, the home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school. In this context, my Department provides home tuition grants in respect of pupils who...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has been providing annual funding of €63,500 to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland since 1999. This funding has helped the association to operate an information service for members and the public. In addition, it has assisted in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the...

Written Answers — Gaeltacht Schools: Gaeltacht Schools (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are 139 primary schools and 30 post-primary schools in Gaeltacht areas. According to returns in respect of the 2004-05 school year submitted to my Department, 106 of the primary schools taught all classes through the medium of Irish. Since the year 2000-01, five primary schools have changed from having all classes taught through the medium of Irish — one having some classes taught...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The primary school curriculum 1999 affirms the centrality of the arts in primary education and incorporates the subjects visual arts, music and drama within the curriculum area of arts education. The curriculum envisages that all children will have access to a range of experiences in arts education, which will enable them to communicate their ideas, feelings, insights and experiences through...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The need for a new school building is acknowledged by my Department. A suitable site for the proposed new school has been identified by the Office of Public Works. Acquisition of the site is underway and is progressing satisfactorily. The next step, once the site is acquired, is the initiation of architectural planning of the building project. The project is being considered for progression...