Results 3,981-4,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Primary School Funding: Primary School Funding (26 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the school building programme from 2006 on.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: 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 primary level refers to the 2003-04 school year, when the average class size was 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil teacher ratio at primary level, which includes all the teachers including resource...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The number of whole-time equivalent special need assistants being paid salary on my Department's payroll is as follows: primary, 6,027; secondary, 338; community and comprehensive, 231. To date, a total of 375 whole-time equivalent special need assistants has been allocated to the VEC sector.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2005)

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

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (26 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are a number of issues that remain to be clarified including the specific rationale and function of the centre as well as building and related technical requirements. This necessarily involves other bodies such as An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta and Gaelscolaíochta and the Department for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. As regards work on the building, when a decision is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy applied for an extension and refurbishment to provide improved ancillary accommodation. The project proposed does not provide for any additional mainstream classrooms. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The proposed...

Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003 [Seanad]: Report Stage. (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I agree with the Deputies on two points. First, Deputies will be aware that we are working towards the consolidation of legislation, particularly given that much of our legislation dates from approximately a century ago. Second, most people cannot understand the language used in legislation, other than the lawyers who make their living out of interpreting it. That idea should be progressed...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department's second report on school retention, published on 19 October 2005, is based on a detailed analysis of the records held in the post-primary pupils database for the cohort of entrants to the first year of the junior cycle in each of the years 1995 and 1996. The figures refer to retention in State-aided second level schools only and do not include students progressing to further...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 282 together. The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. An approved institution is defined to mean a university, college or other institution of higher education in so far as it provides a course or courses of not less than two years duration at postgraduate level, being a...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that in order for an institution to be placed on the Schedule to the Act the facility must have been subject to inspection or regulation by a public body. A total of 128 institutions are listed on the original Schedule to the Act. In November 2004 I signed an order for an additional 13 institutions to be placed on the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The most recent data on primary school class sizes available to my Department relate to the 2004-05 school year and is provided in the accompanying table. These figures are provisional and do not include details of pupils in special schools or pupils in special classes in ordinary schools. Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and in average class size in recent...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The general rule is that schools are staffed on the basis of having a maximum class size across the school of 29. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is often because a decision has been taken at local level to use the teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However if the Deputy requires information on individual schools in counties Sligo and north Leitrim, officials in the school planning and building unit of my Department will be happy to assist. The physical education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Many primary...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently no Early Start pre-schools operating in counties Sligo and north Leitrim. The new action plan for educational inclusion, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, 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...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school transport scheme, which comes under the aegis of my Department, provides for the transport of children to and from school. However, my Department does not operate any scheme whereby grant assistance could be made available to a school for the purchase of a minibus.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A report on this case has been requested from Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. When this report has been received and considered, my Department will advise the parents of the position.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications is the only outstanding directive which has not been transposed into Irish law. The date for transposition of this directive is 20 October 2007 and preparatory work for the drafting of the regulations to meet this transposition date is ongoing within my Department. Since 1997, my Department has received two warning letters...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: 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 confirmed that the pupil...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Depending on their particular assessed needs, children with autism may require supervision while travelling to and from school on transport services funded by my Department. The circumstances of each case are examined by the local special education needs organiser employed by the National Council for Special Education and a recommendation made as to the support required. Where supervision is...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (27 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978 scheme for the employment of full-time clerical officers in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. With effect from 1 January 2004, these clerical officers are paid directly through my Department's central payroll...