Results 4,201-4,220 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The national youth work development plan, together with the Youth Work Act 2001, provides a framework for youth work in Ireland. The plan identifies four main goals and proposes 50 action points to achieve these goals over a five-year period. To date, a number of priority action areas have been addressed. In 2003, €80,000 was spent on the implementation of a child protection training...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The OECD review of Irish higher education makes a series of far-reaching recommendations for reform and development of the sector, against the backdrop of the crucial role which has been identified for it in helping to achieve the broad strategic national goal of becoming a leading knowledge-based society. Earlier this year, the Government approved the broad reform agenda outlined by the OECD...

Written Answers — Post-Primary Education: Post-Primary Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The OECD report referred to by the Deputy examines changes in expenditure since the mid-1990s. It shows that public expenditure on education in Ireland has increased substantially between 1995 and 2002 at all levels, even when allowing for inflation. According to data provided by my Department, per pupil expenditure in Ireland at second level has increased by 16% from €5,845 in 2002 —...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: To date in 2005 my Department has spent a total of approximately €907,000 on legal costs and settlements associated with court cases relating to educational provision for children with special needs compared to a total of approximately €10.13 million in 2003 and 2004. These figures do not include the costs of the State's legal defence which is borne by the Attorney General's office. It is...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The appointment of the chairperson of the board of management of a primary school is a matter for the patron of the school. The appointment must be made in accordance with the procedures set out in the handbook, Boards of Management of National Schools Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure. According to my Department's records, approximately 62% of the chairpersons of boards of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The number of concessionary pupils currently being carried on school transport is 6,557. This figure may fluctuate from time to time. The numbers carried at the end of September 2004 was 6,900. On concessionary pupils, I should clarify that a pupil at primary level is eligible for school transport if s/he resides 3.2 kilometres — two miles — or more from the nearest suitable primary...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Modern European languages are currently taught in 394, or 12%, of our primary schools as part of an initiative that was introduced by my Department in September 1998. The aims of this initiative include the development of communication skills in a modern European language, the fostering of positive attitudes to language learning and the diversification of the languages taught in our schools....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann administers the school transport services on behalf of my Department. School bus routes are organised on a local basis by 11 regional Bus Éireann offices. Payments for school transport tickets are processed by each regional office. If issues arise regarding refunds of payments made, these should be brought to the attention of Bus Éireann, in the first instance, for further...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The most recent data on class size available to my Department shows that, in the 2004-05 school year, of the 322 ordinary classes in primary schools in Cavan, 44 classes had 30 or more pupils and of the 266 ordinary classes in primary schools in Monaghan, 40 classes had 30 or more pupils. Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 4,500...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The purchase of new school sites is underpinned by a thorough assessment of the need for new educational facilities at primary and post-primary level in any given area. In general, where the need for a new school site has been identified, the property management section of the Office of Public Works acquires the site on behalf of my Department. The process of site acquisitions takes account...

Written Answers — School Inspector Reports: School Inspector Reports (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I announced some time ago that in the future reports arising from the inspection of schools and centres of education will be published. Consultations have been held with the educational partners and draft guidelines for the publication of inspection reports have been prepared and issued by the inspectorate of my Department to the educational partners in recent weeks. Following responses from...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has conducted a rolling review, evaluation and monitoring process of the first school bundle PPP project from project delivery through the first three years of the operation phase. This process involves regular meetings with the school principals both as a group and individually, regular meetings with Jarvis personnel and detailed review of the monthly reports for each school...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding for physical education halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor play areas in schools as part of the schools' capital investment programme. General purpose rooms at primary level and PE halls at post-primary level are considered an integral part of the design stage for any major refurbishment programme of existing school buildings, providing that the site is of...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the National Youth Council of Ireland's current campaign for the allocation of additional funding for the development of youth work in Ireland, including the further implementation of the national youth work development plan. The financial provision for the main funding line for the youth work sector in 2005 represents an 18% increase over 2004 and brings that financial...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Early education in Ireland covers the period from birth to six years. At present, almost all five year olds and half of four year olds attend junior infant and senior infant classes in primary schools. Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood education focuses on pre-school provision for children from disadvantaged areas, for...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Board is independent in the performance of its functions in accordance with the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 and my Department is not a party to the consideration of applications for financial redress. If the person mentioned in the Deputy's question has accepted an award made by the board or by the review committee on review, he...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: On 29 September 2005 I announced plans for the provision of 23 new post-primary and four primary schools through public private partnership procurement in the period 2005 to 2009. This is one of the most ambitious building programmes ever undertaken in the education sector. My Department, in consultation with the National Development Finance Agency, is currently engaged in finalising the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The recommendations in my Department's area development plans will form a vital framework in which future decisions about school planning in an 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 for large scale building projects. The normal...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department received correspondence from Dundalk Town Council with regard to a proposed development plan for the south west sector of Dundalk. This correspondence outlined proposals for the development of three areas of residential development comprising in total some 7,300 housing units. In turn, my Department outlined its initial assessment of educational requirements at both primary and...