Results 5,021-5,040 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Provision: Schools Provision (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 414 together. The school planning section of my Department has identified Gorey as an area of rapid development and, consequently, it decided to undertake a review of the long-term needs of the area at primary and post-primary level. As a result of this review, I announced the provision of a new post-primary school for Gorey to cater for some 1,000...

Written Answers — Schools Provision: Schools Provision (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 411 and 416 together. I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to Wexford town. The school planning section of my Department has no plans at present to carry out a review of educational provision for this particular area. However, all applications on hands for capital funding from schools in the town will be subject to the normal examination procedures to...

Written Answers — Schools Provision: Schools Provision (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 418 together. Officials in the school planning section of the Department are currently carrying out a review of primary and post-primary school provision in the Enniscorthy area. This review is expected to be completed in the new year.

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has no plans to provide classes in first aid for students in primary or post-primary schools. Personal safety is addressed in a variety of ways in the primary and post-primary curricula. Social, personal and health education, SPHE, which is compulsory for all students up to the end of junior cycle, aims to develop students' skills for keeping safe and to make students aware of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy refers to litigation taken against the State in which the Department is a named party. While I cannot comment on any individual case, I can confirm that the Department has written to the Health Service Executive requesting the provision of appropriate therapeutic and support services to the unit for pupils with autism in the second level school in question. Section 7 of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The staffing schedule at primary level is structured to ensure that...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (15 Dec 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 was 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 Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A site for the proposed new Gaelscoil has been identified and contract documents for the sale of the site are currently with the Chief State Solicitor's office. When the site acquisition has been finalised, the building project required to facilitate the school's development will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.

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

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened with provisional recognition from the Department in September 2005. One of the criteria for granting provisional recognition is that, in accordance with section 10(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998, the proposed interim accommodation must comply with the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts 1963 to 1996, the Building Regulations 1991 to...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 427 together. Teacher allocations for second level schools and PLC colleges are approved by the Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules based on recognised pupil enrolments on 30 of September of the preceding school year. Each school management authority is required to organise its curriculum, teaching timetable and...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The availability of laboratory technicians has not been a universal feature of support for science teaching in second level schools and in some countries that provide this type of resource, it is confined to certain types of school. I am aware that the provision of technical assistants was one of some 39 recommendations in the report of the taskforce on the physical sciences. The taskforce...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Approximately €600 million has been allocated by the Department in 2005 for programmes specifically designed to tackle educational disadvantage in accordance with the strategies outlined in the National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2003-05 and Sustaining Progress. The wide variety of measures in place for tackling educational disadvantage and social exclusion reflect...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has introduced a number of initiatives and schemes to empower school authorities in addressing capital works at their schools. Each initiative and scheme has specific terms and these are outlined in the appropriate published document. If the Deputy wishes to ask a question in regard to a particular school or initiative, I will be happy to provide a response.

Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Next week.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (25 Jan 2006)

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 and which included representatives of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the National Safety Council, the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Issues relating to property and accommodation for the overall decentralisation programme are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works, OPW. I understand that the OPW is engaged in the process of site acquisition for Mullingar but that the matter has not yet been concluded. The data available to my Department on individuals wishing to decentralise to Mullingar relate to applications...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs. : Special Educational Needs. (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Responsibility for the recruitment and appointment of staff rests with the board of management of the school concerned subject to my Department's rules and guidelines governing the appointment and retention of teachers in schools. These rules state that a fully qualified primary teacher must be appointed to all vacancies arising in schools. The Deputy should note that the fourth paragraph of...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the statement regarding the industrial and reformatory school system referred to in the Deputy's question. I can also confirm that this statement was provided in its entirety for the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in June 2003. My Department, however, has no record of the meeting on 18 March 1988 to which the Deputy refers. In regard to allegations of fraud, I can...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am satisfied that, at all times, officials in my Department endeavour to ensure that responses issued to representations are accurate and comprehensive. If the Deputy has any particular concern in this regard, she may wish to provide me with further details in order that I can have the matter investigated.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The enrolment of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, is a matter in the first instance for schools, parents and guardians. The Education Act 1998 requires all schools to have in place an admissions policy, detailing admission to, and participation by, students with disabilities or who have other special educational needs. The Act also requires schools to ensure that as...