Results 4,621-4,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy should be aware that 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: The qualifications in question were not referred to my Department. My Department prescribes qualifications for appointment to such posts but does not sanction individual appointments. The making of an appointment is a matter for the vocational education committee as the employer. The VEC has confirmed to my Department that the successful candidate qualifies in accordance with the criteria set...

Written Answers — Childhood Obesity: Childhood Obesity (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Our schools promote, support and encourage healthy eating and physical exercise in a range of ways. With regard to educating students about making good food choices, a curriculum in social, personal, and health education, SPHE, is mandatory for all primary students and its implementation is also being assisted by a full-time support service. Health and well-being, with food and nutrition, are...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for funding under the additional accommodation scheme 2006. All applications under this scheme are being examined in the school planning section of my Department. The list of successful applicants will be published when the assessment process is completed.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I outlined in my reply to a parliamentary question from the Deputy dated 15 November 2005 that my Department is examining all relevant correspondence on file regarding this case. I will communicate with the Deputy directly if it is considered that a meeting would be useful to clarify matters.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 8 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that applications may be made to the redress board within three years of the establishment of the board. This means that the statutory closing date for receipt of applications by the board is 15 December 2005. The board has made arrangements for applications to be received at the board's offices up to midnight on that date...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The steering committee of the substance misuse prevention programme is examining a proposal for the expansion of the Walk Tall programme in primary schools in line with amended action 32 of the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy. As soon as the committee has considered the proposal and recommendations in detail, it will be sent to my Department for consideration and action.

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Child protection guidelines for primary and post-primary schools, which were distributed to primary and post-primary schools in 2001 and 2004 respectively, were produced in consultation with the partners in education to meet the needs for schools to have in place clear procedures which teachers and other school staff should follow where they suspect, or are alerted to, possible child abuse....

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. The post-primary school to which the Deputy refers is heavily oversubscribed as a result of a significant number of pupils enrolling from outside its catchment area. The cumulative effect of the development of this type of situation over a number of years can impact negatively on pupils from within the catchment area who are entitled, as...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy should be aware that significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: Under the current staffing schedule for primary schools, an enrolment of 12 recognised pupils at the end of September 2004 is required for the employment of a principal and one mainstream classroom teacher. However, the provisional enrolment figures, which have been submitted to the Department, indicate that a minimum of 12 recognised pupils were enrolled in a number of schools which...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation system 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 Department issued a comprehensive circular, Sp Ed 02/05, to all primary schools recently regarding...

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

Mary Hanafin: The locations in which litigants sought special educational services in actions initiated in 2004 and 2005 against the Minister for Education and Science on behalf of children are as follows. In 2004, one in Bangor in Wales, one in Meath, two in Kilkenny, three in Dublin, two in Cork, one in Offaly, one in Wicklow, two in Donegal, one in Galway, one in Sligo and one in Clare. In 2005, one in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to large scale primary and post primary school projects. As he will be aware, earlier this year the Department of Finance published capital appraisal guidelines relating to the need to undertake formal structured auditable assessments of new capital projects as follows: Value of project needed. If less than €500,000, a simple assessment; if between...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of primary and secondary 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 school children. It is open to the boards...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €350,000 was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional accommodation. The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives boards of management control of...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Individual VECs are not required to provide details of their various boards and committees to my Department. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the current staffing schedule for primary schools, an enrolment of 12 recognised pupils at the end of September 2004 is required for the employment of a principal and one mainstream classroom teacher. However, the provisional enrolment figures, which have been submitted to my Department, indicate that a minimum of 12 recognised pupils were enrolled in a number of schools which currently...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for a new building from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation...

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the authority of the school to which he refers has submitted an application for funding under the summer works scheme for 2006. The school planning section of my Department is in the process of assessing all applications received. Details of the successful applicants will be published when the assessment process has been completed.