Results 5,221-5,240 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Planning Issues. (26 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I thank the Senators for raising this matter. I will certainly bring their views to the attention of the Minister. As the Senators are aware, final decisions on planning applications are a matter for the relevant planning authority or An Bord Pleanála in the case of planning appeals. The Minister for the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together. My Department has provided funding in excess of €34 million for the construction of nine dual-use halls with enhanced facilities, attached to post-primary schools. Eight of the halls, including the hall referred to by the Deputy, are in Dublin and one is in Cork. Issues relating to the facilitation of community usage of the halls are...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (31 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 — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Social, personal and health education, SPHE, is part of the core curriculum for all pupils in primary schools and in the junior cycle of post-primary schools. The syllabi are available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. The SPHE curriculum for primary schools offers particular opportunities, in an age-appropriate way, to foster the personal development, health and well-being of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital investment for the provision of suitable accommodation to cater for an autistic unit has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria and is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school in question was listed in my announcement of March 2005 as a project to start the architectural planning process. A design team was appointed in June 2005 and my Department wrote to the school authorities in July 2005 outlining the scope of works and giving approval to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy was listed among the 43 schools I announced in March of 2005 to start architectural planning. The brief is for a new 16 classroom school. Apart from the civil structural engineer, whom my Department hopes to have appointed in the near future, all other design team members have been appointed. The architectural service for this project is being dealt with...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. More than 70 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and are a focal point of contact for schools...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. Provision is built into the annual school building programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety issues as identified by the school authority by way of an annual...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department understands that the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied live in a closed school area. In the case of amalgamations, pupils residing in a closed school area may be deemed eligible for transport to the school of amalgamation only. My Department further understands that the pupils are not attending the amalgamated school. In such circumstances, the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's school transport section is satisfied on the basis of the catchment area map held in the Department, which is the definitive map, that the children in question are not fully eligible for transport to schools in Wexford town. Furthermore, Bus Éireann has informed my Department that there are no spare seats available to facilitate the pupils in question with catchment boundary...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is not aware of any drivers of school buses being employed by vocational education committees. If the Deputy has a specific case in mind and the details are made available, the school transport section of my Department will make inquiries in the matter. The terms and conditions of employment of any drivers engaged privately by schools would be a matter for the school authorities...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The position regarding the alleviation of entry fees for the State examinations is that students who are covered by the general medical services card scheme, either directly or as the dependents of medical card holders, are not liable to pay fees. My Department has no function in respect of the costs associated with school based tests, for example, mock examinations, as they are not part of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from 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 programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill vacancies in an individual primary school is a matter for the board of management of the school concerned. Unqualified personnel should only be employed in exceptional circumstances and when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted. Boards of management of schools were advised of this in primary circular 15/05 which...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under my Department's higher education grant schemes, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved undergraduate courses in other EU member states, including the United Kingdom. In general, approved courses are those pursued in a third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds. Students attending approved courses in...

Written Answers — Third Level Participation: Third Level Participation (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Returns in respect of the number of students enrolled in post-leaving certificate courses at 30 September 2005 in counties Cavan and Monaghan indicate there were 1,019 and 206 students, respectively.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Since the establishment of NEPS in 1999, the number of NEPS psychologists has increased from 43 to 121 at present. Any increase in the number of psychologists in NEPS will depend on the availability of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers. All primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through NEPS or...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A general review of catchment boundaries has not taken place and a nationwide review is necessary. Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has recently sanctioned a transport service for the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has been asked to make the necessary arrangements in this regard. I understand transport may be required to a different school from the end of February next. On receipt of an application...