Results 5,161-5,180 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed under its human resources strategy to ensuring a positive working environment for all staff and to enable each person to work with dignity and respect, free from bullying, harassment or sexual harassment. Such complaints are dealt with in accordance with the procedures agreed with staff representative bodies, outlined in a Positive Working Environment — an...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department operates two bonus or merit schemes for all staff — a performance-related awards scheme for posts at the level of assistant secretaries general and an employee recognition awards scheme, Aitheantas, that recognises exceptional performance for all other grades up to and including principal officer and equivalent in the Department. Civil Service posts at the levels of assistant...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. 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 process of assessing eligibility for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which he refers has agreed to amalgamate with another school in the area. In common with all amalgamation situations, a technical inspection was carried out on the existing buildings to ascertain, which if either, would be suitable to act as a host for the new school. The technical report has been received and examined in the school planning section...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, my Department and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland are jointly engaged in the development of the Middletown Centre for Autism in County Armagh. Both Departments have jointly funded the purchase of the former St. Joseph's Adolescent Centre, Middletown, and plan to refurbish the property with a view to developing a centre of excellence for children and...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has not submitted an application to my Department for refurbishment works.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for a new PE hall at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale school building projects. The project has been assigned a band four rating and its progress will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1373 and 1374 together. The acquisition process for the sites to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage. However, the Deputy will appreciate that, due to the commercial sensitivities of site acquisition, I am unable to comment on the detail with regard to specific site purchases. I am, however, pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that due to the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards. It is my intention that the post primary school will be delivered by way...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Tyrrelstown Educate Together NS has been relocated from its temporary accommodation in Littlepace. It is now accommodated in new purpose-built prefabricated units at a site in Tyrrelstown. An application from the school authority for additional accommodation for September 2006 is under consideration in the school planning section. All applications under...

Written Answers — Public Service Procurement: Public Service Procurement (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The process of procurement in my Department is regulated through compliance with existing guidelines on public procurement under EU and national rules. It has not been the practice to date to produce a corporate plan in respect of this activity. However, my Department will be developing its policy in this area in line with the initiative currently being undertaken by the national public...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: This issue is being considered at present and my Department will be in contact with the school authorities in due course.

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

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 along with food and nutrition...

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

Mary Hanafin: The teacher supply and demand issue at second level is very complex. Analyses undertaken by my Department in the past indicated that there are regional and subject variations. A further complicating factor is that vacancies in second level schools usually require specific subject combinations. By way of background I should point out that the teacher education section of my Department is...

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

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department at present and will be forwarded directly to her.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been received by my Department. This application is being considered in the context of an overall review of educational provision in the area where the school is located. I expect this review to be completed shortly.

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Annual grants are awarded by my Department to vocational education committees for the provision of adult education in their areas. Subject to the amount made available, it is for each VEC to determine the disbursement of these grants, in accordance with its own priorities. Accordingly, an application of the kind referred to in the question should be made to County Tipperary South Riding VEC.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In May 2004, the school to which the Deputy refers refused a devolved grant of €70,000 to provide extra permanent accommodation. Subsequently, it sought approval for four extra classrooms to accommodate a mainstream classroom teacher and three special education teachers, SET. This was approved by way of rental of two full sized classrooms, 76 m2, one of which was to be sub-divided into...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Youth Work Act 2001 provides a legal framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services to be organised by the Minister for Education and Science, the vocational education committees and national and major regional youth work organisations. Section 1 of the Act provides for sections to be commenced at different stages. Sections 2 to 7, 17, 18 and 24 have been commenced to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities in September 2005 advising them that they should now proceed to prepare and submit a stage 2 submission, outline sketch scheme. The school authorities had expected to have the submission with my Department by the end of...