Results 4,561-4,580 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: Records indicate that my Department was first advised in 1991 by the principal of the school referred to by the Deputy of this complaint and the investigation involving the school and the health board into it. This investigation concluded that the allegations were unfounded. Following the subsequent referral of the matter to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse by the complainant, my...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of primary schools would be a matter that should be raised in the first instance with the relevant local authority. Local authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools and should ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local...

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

Mary Hanafin: Section 7 of the Education Act 1998 confers a function on the Minister for Education and Science to ensure that appropriate education and support services are provided to children, including children with special educational needs. The State delivers therapies through the Health Services Executive, HSE, which is funded by the Oireachtas to provide such services. This is made clear by sections...

Written Answers — Recoupment of Legal Costs: Recoupment of Legal Costs (24 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The Deputy refers to litigation taken against the State in which my Department is a named party. While I cannot comment on any individual case, it should be understood that each set of proceedings is examined on a case by case basis. In litigation where the State believes it has fulfilled its constitutional and legal obligations to the...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 253 together. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 was enacted in July 2004. Sections 1, 2, 14(1)(a), 14(1)(c), 14(2) to 14(4), inclusive, 19 to 37, inclusive, 40 to 44, inclusive, and 50 to 53, inclusive, of the Act were commenced on 14 July 2005. Separate establishment day orders were made in respect of the National...

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

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the higher education grants scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The nationality requirement, which is set out in clause 4.5 of the 2005 higher education grant scheme guidelines, provides that candidates must hold EU...

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

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education was established under the provisions of section 54 of the Education Act 1998. The council's functions are set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003, SI No. 270 of 2004. The council is charged with conducting and commissioning research on matters relevant to its functions and, as it considers appropriate,...

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

Mary Hanafin: Some 28 former employees have been brought back to work on contract in the Department of Education and Science since 2000. Two former employees were brought back to work on contract in this period on the basis of information supplied by the agencies under my authority. Short-term employment contracts of this nature are not considered as part of the overall numbers employed by the Department.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the case of the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, of my Department, psychologists always obtain written parental or guardianship consent prior to undertaking educational psychological assessments. A similar procedure obtains where children are assessed by panel psychologists under the scheme for commissioning of psychological assessments, SPCA, which NEPS administers. Best...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 to 391, inclusive, together. Four special needs assistants are employed in the school in question supporting the care needs of six pupils. The school's enrolment at 30 September 2005 is 611 pupils. A new general allocation system has been announced under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The question of introducing a road safety and driver education syllabus into schools has been examined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on foot of a report from a task group set up in 2000, which included representatives of the Departments of Education and Science and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the National Safety Council, the Garda, the Irish...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 to 396, inclusive, and Questions Nos. 401 to 421, inclusive, together. In accordance with the rules and programme for secondary schools, the approved course for the established leaving certificate must include Irish and not less than four of the examination subjects listed, all of which are optional: classical studies; ancient Greek; Latin; English; Hebrew...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 399 together. In the post-leaving certificate sector, an additional 1,540 student places have been approved by my Department during 2005. The majority of these additional student places were notified to PLC providers on the basis of applications received earlier this year. A further 60 student places will be approved shortly. On the basis of a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the higher education grants scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The nationality requirement, as set out in clause 4.5 of the higher education grant scheme 2005, states: "Candidates must:— ∙hold E.U. Nationality; or...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The terms and conditions of the career break scheme for civil servants are agreed centrally by the Department of Finance. Child rearing is one of the purposes for which a career break may be approved. A career break consists of special leave without pay for a period of not less than six months and not more than five years at any one time. A career break may be extended in six monthly periods...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 to 429, inclusive, together. In accordance with the rules and programme for secondary schools, the approved course for the established leaving certificate must include Irish and not less than four of the following examination subjects, all of which are optional: classical studies; ancient Greek; Latin; English; Hebrew studies; French; German; Italian;...

Written Answers — Teaching Staff: Teaching Staff (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Higher Diploma in Education Applications Centre, HDEAC, was formed in 1998 to accept applications for admission to the higher diploma in education courses offered by the four constituent universities of the National University of Ireland at Dublin, Cork, Galway and Maynooth. The centre operates a common application and common selection process on behalf of the relevant universities....

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A second level teacher must hold, in addition to the required teacher training, a suitable primary degree or equivalent award, from a nationally recognised university or similar third level college, which is adequate to enable the holder to teach to the highest level at least one subject from the second level schools curriculum. The duration of such a degree programme must be at least three...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Teachers trained outside the jurisdiction of the State, whose qualifications have been assessed and accepted by my Department, but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification, are granted a five year period of provisional recognition to teach in mainstream classes in national schools. During this period these teachers are expected to obtain their Irish language...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The specific information requested for schools in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 is not readily available to my Department. The Deputy will be aware that the general allocation of learning support-resource teachers, LS-RTs, is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. The system was constructed in order that LS-RT allocations would be based on pupil...