Results 4,541-4,560 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy as the financial records which are maintained in respect of payments made to school authorities for rented temporary accommodation are recorded on a monthly basis and are not recorded on a county basis. However, if the Deputy wishes to request details on the annual cost of rented school accommodation on...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together. The Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for pupils with special educational needs including pupils with visual impairment. The supports in question include learning support and resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. There has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in relation to...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A key element of DEIS, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second-level schools for the purposes of qualifying for resources, both human and financial, according to the degree of disadvantaged experienced. This standardised system...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received correspondence from the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland seeking approval for the inclusion of the winter streams of the professional practice course 1 under the higher education grant scheme for 2005-06. The application for course approval is under consideration within my Department.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. With regard to income thresholds prescribed under the student maintenance grant schemes, the practice in recent years has been to...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: With regard to income thresholds prescribed under the student maintenance grant schemes, the practice in recent years has been to increase the reckonable income limits for the ordinary rate of grant by at least the annual increase in the average industrial wage in the 12 months to September of the year prior to the relevant academic year. Similarly, with regard to the value of the grant, the...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The back to education allowance is administered by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, not by the Minister for Education and Science. Changes in the conditions for receiving the allowance may, however, affect schemes under my Department, for example, students who qualify for the BTEA from the Department of Social and Family Affairs could also qualify for a maintenance grant from my...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The student charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services. The student charge is €775 for the 2005-06 academic year. All students who are eligible for means tested student support have the student charge paid on their behalf by the local authorities or the vocational education committees, in addition to any maintenance...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (23 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for an upgrade to its external play area under the summer works scheme for 2006. The closing date for the receipt of such applications was 14 October last. All applications are currently being assessed and a list of successful applicants will be published when the assessment procedure has been completed.

Order of Business. (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have spoken and explained to her——

Written Answers — School Materials: School Materials (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together. The DVD is entitled Gearrscannáin and it contains nine films in the Irish language. One of these films is Clare sa Spéir. This film is on the new prescribed literature course in Irish for leaving certificate which was introduced in schools in September 2004, for first examination in June 2006. The development of this DVD was funded by...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 do not place any onus on developers to provide school sites other than at market rates. I am keeping an open mind as to whether legislative change might be of assistance or prove the best way forward here. In this regard, my Department has commenced exploratory discussions with the Department of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My officials are currently examining the matter and will make direct contact with the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that no application for special needs assistance support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy has been...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that there are now over 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares with fewer than 1,500 in 1998. Indeed, one out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs. I can also confirm that there have been no cutbacks in the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The person referred to by the Deputy does not hold EU nationality or official refugee status and, therefore, does not qualify for free tuition fees under the free fees initiative.

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has records of correspondence in the period 1965 to 1967 between the person mentioned by the Deputy and the then Minister for Education with regard to juvenile offenders and problems encountered by those who subsequently emigrated to Britain. The Department has no record of any report on the matter from the person concerned nor does it have any record of a meeting with the then...