Results 4,501-4,520 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Nov 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 — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In order to encourage parents to go back to further education, my Department provides funding for VECs to assist towards the child care expenses of participants in certain further education programmes. These are the vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller training centre programmes. The administration of these grants is a matter for individual VECs....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together. Before committing significant capital resources to the planned new school, it is essential to confirm that the provision of a new second level school in the area is absolutely warranted. In order to consider the matter thoroughly, a review of second level education provision in the area is under way. This review will take into account...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The new school is as a result of the amalgamation of Kilworth girls and Kilworth boys' national schools. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities on 23 September 2005 giving approval to proceed to stage 3, detailed plans and costs, of...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Education and Science is rolling out broadband Internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. Following a public tendering process last year, contracts were awarded to six companies for the provision of access connectivity to almost 4,000 schools. Another provider, Eircom, has been engaged to install a broadband router at...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A copy of the circular referred to by the Deputy was issued to each second level school at the beginning of the current school year. The circular is also available on the website of the Department of Education and Science. In line with normal practice, schools were asked to give a copy of the circular to the appropriate representatives of parents and teachers for transmission to individual...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science has not conducted any specific research on the use by students of wheelie schoolbags. The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, acknowledged that many solutions to the problem can be found at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 558 together. The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, stated that many of the solutions belong at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the need to increase awareness of the potential health hazards of excessively heavy schoolbags. In...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes in respect of students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions. I refer to the higher education grants scheme, the VECs scholarship scheme and the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees. The Department also funds a maintenance grant scheme in respect of students...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The main reason for the perceived increase of €15.8 million in the cost of running the State post-primary examinations between 2002 and 2005 is that a technical adjustment was made in the mechanisms for reporting expenditure. State examinations were administered by the examinations branch of the Department of Education and Science until 2002. Since the establishment of the State...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has applied for funding under the summer works scheme 2006. All applications under the scheme are being examined in the Department of Education and Science's school planning section. The list of successful applicants will be published when the assessment process has been completed. The school's application for capital funding towards the provision of an...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of accommodation at Monaghan Institute of Further Education and Training has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised on foot of consultation with the education partners. It has been agreed that the long-term accommodation needs of the college will be met by means of a new building. The...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The country is divided into catchment areas for the purposes of the provision of post-primary education. Under the terms of the school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for school transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which he or she lives. Post-primary school transport routes are planned so that no eligible child should have...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A request was recently received from County Monaghan VEC for approval to incur expenditure on the acquisition of five acres of land from Coillte Teoranta for the purpose of developing the centre referred to in the question. On the basis of the information supplied, approval was not given.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Special fees were introduced in 1987 for candidates who remain in school with a view to repeating the leaving certificate examination. A course fee is also payable in respect of such candidates. The fees were introduced on the basis that it is not unreasonable to expect those who have already benefited from the normal course of second level education and who wish to take an extra year to make...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science facilitates apprenticeship training through the provision of places in institutes of technology. Some 150 blocks of 16 apprentice places are being provided throughout the country in the trade of carpentry and joinery. If additional capacity is sought by FÁS, the institutes of technology are invited to make proposals for the individual trades. The...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science facilitates apprenticeship training through the provision of places in institutes of technology. Some 150 blocks of 16 apprentice places are being provided throughout the country in the trade of carpentry and joinery. If additional capacity is sought by FÁS, the institutes of technology are invited to make proposals for the individual trades. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has applied for capital funding towards the provision of a permanent extension. It is necessary, to ensure that the planned capital investment will meet the school's long-term accommodation needs, to assess the long-term projected enrolment at the school, on which the extent of accommodation required at the school will be based. The assessment will take...

Written Answers — Academic Appointments: Academic Appointments (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the Universities Act 1997, universities are autonomous institutions. The governance and day-to-day management of universities are matters for their governing bodies and management in each case.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for transport on behalf of a number of children attending the school referred to by the Deputy was received by the Department of Education and Science on 24 October last. Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department, has been asked to submit a report on the application. When the report has been received and considered by the Department,...