Results 461-480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy was listed as a refurbishment-extension project for proceeding to tender and construction as part of the 2004 school building programme. Following discussions and correspondence with the Department, the board of management has advised the Department that it will purchase a site for a new school provided the project is changed to a new school. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. However, if the Deputy has a query about any specific school, I would be happy to provide the information for him.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the allocation of teaching resources for special needs comprises two elements, a general allocation based on overall pupil numbers in respect of high incidence disability categories and learning support needs and individual specific allocations in respect of specified low incidence disability categories. Any applications for individual allocations made by this...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has acquired a site for the relocation of the school to which the Deputy refers and the provision of a new school building has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. Progress on this project is being considered in the context of the school building programme and the Deputy...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. An application for special needs assistant support for the person in question was received in my Department on 28 October 2004. My officials are liaising with my Department's inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, regarding the application. A decision will be conveyed to the school as soon as this process has...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The special rates of maintenance grant for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as top-up grants, were introduced with effect from the 2000-01 academic year. The latest data indicates that more than 11,500 benefited in 2003-04. This is a significant achievement and means that we are well ahead of the target in the report of the action group on access to third level education which...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An extension project, including the provision of a PE hall, at the school to which the Deputy refers has been included on the recently announced list of projects to proceed to tender and construction in the next 12 to 15 months. My Department's building unit has arranged a general information meeting in order to guide schools that are on this list through the process involved in moving...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its time-table and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. Apart from meeting the requirements in respect of the provision...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The correspondence referred to concerns an application from parents in November 2004, to enrol their child in a mainstream national school. I understand that a response to this application is awaited. I wish to inform the Deputy that the enrolment of a pupil in a national school is a matter for the school's board of management. I further understand that the National Educational Psychological...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that my Department received an application from the school to increase the level of special needs assistant, SNA, support from part-time to full-time for the pupil concerned as he has progressed to first class and will be in attendance for the full school day. Based on the information submitted by the school, my Department's professionals concluded that the appropriate level of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that my Department has considered an application for a special needs assistant, SNA, for the pupil in question. As outlined in my Department's circulars, special needs assistant, SNA, support may be approved for a pupil who has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where his or her behaviour is such that he or...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with standard practice, a person appointed to a publicly advertised teaching post in a community school and who does not meet the qualification requirements for that post is paid at the unqualified rate. My Department agreed with teacher union representatives a change to the standard of qualification required for appointment to special needs teaching posts. These arrangements...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An agreement was reached between the managerial authorities of second level schools, my Department and the teachers' unions for the provision of funding for supervision and substitution duties in post-primary schools in 2002 and a circular to this effect was issued in July 2002. Permanent, temporary wholetime and eligible part-time teachers who served in a voluntary secondary or...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the free fees initiative, my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending full-time undergraduate courses, which must be of at least two years duration, at approved colleges. Eligible students are those who are first time undergraduates, who hold EU nationality or official refugee status or have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1080 and 1082 to 1085, inclusive, together. The projects are listed for proceeding to tender and construction over the next 12 to 15 months. My Department's building unit has arranged a general information meeting for all such schools to guide them through the process involved in moving projects to tender and construction. The meeting will take place on 1...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In November 2004, I announced the end to the freeze on third level capital funding following the report of the review group on the prioritisation of all capital projects in the third level sector, the Kelly report, when I gave immediate approval for key projects in the sector. The projects selected were identified as being of a high national priority and include a number of new facilities to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil in question. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received from the school towards the cost of renting and renovating the premises which it occupies. This application is under consideration in the school planning section of my Department. A decision will be taken in the matter as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am familiar with the project and attended the project's annual awards ceremony on 15 December last. The accessing college education programme since its foundation in 1998 as a pilot project, has demonstrated that, by working closely together, schools, students, their families and third level colleges can build confidence in young people to fulfil their true potential. The programme has...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Jan 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level in recent years. The ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in the 2003-04 school year. Figures for the current school year are not yet available. In line with Government policy, my Department will continue to provide further reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio within available...