Results 4,881-4,900 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Educational Disadvantage. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I accept that when there are huge disparities in participation rates they must be addressed. We have some of the figures for Clondalkin that the Deputy referred to because of the distinct postal district and we were able to identify the Clondalkin-Neilstown area. I realise the numbers are lower but at least the trend is encouraging because the admissions rate went from 11% to 19%, which is a...

Education Policy. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The YES consultation process was launched in January 2004, when the discussion document, Your Education System, was published. The process has included a range of meetings, including 17 public meetings, at which people were invited to put forward their views on education. Written submissions were also invited by post and by e-mail. There has been a very considerable level of public...

Education Policy. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I was very conscious that when a process like this has been undertaken, which involved so many members of the public, it would be important for it to feed into policy making. The final report is not available and we do not even have preliminary findings from the process but what we have is the valuable views of the Irish public on education, which is the survey that has been published. That...

Education Policy. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The honest answer is that I do not know, but with the calibre of the trustees responsible for it, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, Dr. Pádraig Hogan, Dr. Barry McGaw from the OECD, Dame Geraldine Keegan, Ned Sullivan, Dr. Catherine Sweeney and Mary Davis, they will ensure that the process has integrity and that the report reflects what happened. Some the findings and views in the report, such as those...

Education Policy. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I do not believe there will be any proposals and I will not accept any presented to me. There are no recommendations in the report, which simply reports on a consultation process which took place. The report ascertained the views of people who attended public meetings and the views of the public. There will be no proposals or recommendations to be accepted.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 16, 22 and 100 together. Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. The annual estimated value of the additional expenditure on these posts is over €200 million. In...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: This would have been the case in the past.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing schedule applies to mainstream schools throughout the country, with the most disadvantaged schools receiving more favourable treatment.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I expect at least 200 and possibly up to 300 teachers to be deployed next year.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: If any school informs me that it does not have sufficient room for an extra teacher, I will advise it to wait until the next year if it does not wish to take on the new teacher.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I suggest that schools would be happy enough to take on extra teachers even if they do not have the space for them. Of course, it will place capital demands on schools, which we have anticipated. We will be forced to build more classrooms as the schedule is reduced. This will take place in the context of the capital programme. However, if any school does not want its extra teacher and would...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The OECD review of Irish higher education makes a series of far reaching recommendations for reform and development of the sector, against the backdrop of the crucial role which has been identified for it in helping to contribute to Ireland's strategic ambition of becoming a leading knowledge based society. Earlier this year, the Government approved the broad thrust of the OECD proposals and...

Written Answers — School Inspection Reports: School Inspection Reports (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is no requirement for second level schools to produce an annual report. However, the Education Act 1998 requires the board of management of a school to establish procedures for informing the parents of students in the school of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Such procedures may include the publication of a report on the operation and performance of the...

Written Answers — School Inspection Reports: School Inspection Reports (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: During the summer, I announced that my Department would publish school inspection reports arising from the general programme of school inspections. Under this programme, a selected number of schools is inspected on a cyclical basis. The reports include whole school evaluation reports arising from the inspection of primary and post-primary schools and centres for education and subject...

Written Answers — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 29, 39, 102 and 105 together. Child protection and the implementation of the Stay Safe programme for all children in every primary school are priorities for my Department. The Stay Safe programme, which is also known as the child abuse prevention programme, CAPP, is a primary school based approach to the prevention of child abuse. The programme aims to...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A total of 55,222 candidates participated in the established leaving certificate examinations in 2004. Of this number, some 14,878 students sat the leaving certificate Gaeilge examination at higher level. This represented just over 30% of the total cohort of 48,962 candidates taking the Gaeilge examination that year. Gaeilge is offered at three levels in the leaving certificate — foundation...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (15 Dec 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, insert additional institutions in the...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The report of the steering group of the commission on school accommodation, entitled Criteria and Procedures for Establishing and Maintaining Provision through the Medium of Irish in Second Level Schools or Clusters of Schools, presents a framework of key issues and makes a number of recommendations on the provision of second level education through the medium of Irish. The report is...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In April 2005, as part of the Government's plans for implementing the programme of reform and development recommended by the OECD in its review of higher education in Ireland, I announced that I would establish a strategic innovation fund to drive transformation of the sector by promoting collaboration and change in pursuit of system wide excellence. The budget has now delivered the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There has been significant progress in the development of ICT infrastructure in schools, in enhancing teachers' skills and pedagogical practice and in the development of curriculum and learning resources, since the introduction of the ICT in schools initiative in 1998. My Department is currently examining the future priorities for the ICT in schools initiative and this work is being...