Results 3,741-3,760 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The issues raised in the question are a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children.

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 to 494, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware, my Department announced the new general allocation system of teaching resources last May with a view to it being implemented in all primary schools with effect from the start of the current school year. The general allocation scheme is designed to ensure that each school has enough resource teaching...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil teacher ratio in recent years. The pupil teacher ratio, which includes all the teachers including resource teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.1:1, projected, in 2004-05. Over 4,500 additional teachers have been employed in our primary schools since 1997. In allocating teaching posts regard has been had to the...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Individual school management authorities are not required to report to my Department on incidences of bullying. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. However, I can assure the Deputy that I am acutely aware of the issue of bullying in schools and my Department has in place a multi-faceted strategy to tackle the issue. The education of students...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All schools in County Kildare have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, service directly or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA. At present, the detailed position in County Kildare is as follows. County Kildare Schools With access to NEPS Service With access to SCPA...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Government's commitment to achieving the highest possible standards of literacy both for those in school and for adults of all ages is reflected in the social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress. This contains a special initiative on "Tackling Educational Disadvantage — Literacy, Numeracy and Early School Leavers". Its commitment is also evident in the National Action Plan...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 to 503, inclusive, together. The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available. However, at primary level there are now approximately 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to fewer than 1,500 in 1998. Indeed, one out of every five...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school in question has two special classes for autism with two teachers and five special need assistants. Each class has a pupil teacher ratio of 6:1. These classes cater for nine children. The building unit of my Department has sanctioned grants totalling €29,980.55 to facilitate the establishment of the classes. Each class attracts an enhanced capitation grant. Children attending the...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department makes a specific ex-quota allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance to schools in the second level system. This allocation is based on the pupil enrolment in September of the preceding school year. As a result of my decision to allocate an additional 100 posts to guidance from September 2005 an enhanced guidance allocation provision was put in place for 2005-06 school...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the review of the long term accommodation needs of the school in question has been completed. The information has been submitted to the appeals committee and it will convene to issue a decision as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 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 — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The total expenditure on the management information system project for the 14 institutes of technology and the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute was €44.8 million. This expenditure itemised by annual breakdown is as follows: Year Expenditure (€ million) 1995 0.1 1996 0.9 1997 0.2 1998 2.4 1999 3.1 2000 5.6 2001 4.5 2002 11.2 2003...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A total of eight staff were seconded from institutes of technology for varying periods to work on central implementation teams for each of the four MIS applications. The eight staff seconded from institutes comprised, one registrar from Galway-Mayo IT, two at assistant principal officer level or equivalent grading from Sligo IT and IT Tallaght , two at grade 7 level from Waterford IT and IT...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 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 — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The most recent data on primary school class sizes available to my Department relates to the 2004-05 school year and are in the attachment provided. The Deputy should note that these figures are provisional. Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and in average class size in recent years at primary level. The most recent figure available for average class size at...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has confirmed that applications in respect of the two pupils referred to by the Deputy were received by the relevant Bus Éireann local office. However, as they do not reside at least two miles from the school concerned, as required under the terms of the primary school transport scheme, they were deemed...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that the Minister may, by order, include in the Schedule to the Act any industrial school, reformatory school, orphanage, children's home, special school which was established for the purpose of providing education services to children with a physical or intellectual disability or a hospital providing medical or psychiatric...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has contacted the transport liaison officer for County Galway and Bus Éireann with a view to expediting the completion of a report on the matter referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy will be advised of the position as soon as the report has been received and considered.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for a new PE hall at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The project has been assigned a band four rating and its progress will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (12 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: 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 discussions with Educate Together, my Department has...