Results 5,241-5,260 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that works on the school buildings to which he refers were included in my recent announcement of 62 schools for which design teams will be appointed under the 2006 capital programme. The timing of the amalgamation and the relocation of the school in question is dependent on the rate of progress on the refurbishment project and, in particular, the timing of...

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

Mary Hanafin: Under the post-primary school transport scheme, post-primary routes are, in general, planned so that no eligible pupil will have more than 3.2 kilometres, 2 miles, to travel to a pick up point. On the basis of information outlined by the Deputy in the details supplied, the family concerned appears to reside no more than 3.2 kilometres, 2 miles, from the present pick up point. This arrangement...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for a new physical education, PE, facility at the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale projects. The project has been assigned a band four rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (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 April 2005 as a project to progress through architectural planning up to pre-tender stage, namely, up to and including advanced architectural planning. In order to bring this project to the required stage, my Department's...

Written Answers — Traveller Community: Traveller Community (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The needs of the Traveller community are a high priority for me and my Department. My Department provides additional resources to enhance the education of Traveller children. In 2004-05, my Department spent over €56 million on Traveller education over and above what is being provided through mainstream education. This expenditure makes special provision to enable members of the Traveller...

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

Mary Hanafin: The registration of students for courses in higher education is the responsibility of individual third level institutions and I do not have a function in this matter.

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 that 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, who 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...

Written Answers — Transition Year: Transition Year (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the following number of students were enrolled in the transition year programme in the school years 2000-01 to 2004-05: 2000-01 — 23,309 pupils; 2001-02 — 22,835 pupils; 2002-03 — 23,362 pupils; 2003-04 — 23,842 pupils; and 2004-05 — 24,844 pupils. Data on student enrolment for 2005-06, including the transition year programme, are not yet available,...

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

Mary Hanafin: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the Saplings applied behavioural analysis, ABA, facility in Mullingar, which is due to commence operation on 6 February 2006. My officials have received information that indicates that the child in question is currently on the waiting list for this facility and is expected to be among its first pupil intake. My Department has approved significant...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department was informed recently that the authorities of the schools to which the Deputy refers have secured an agreement locally to amalgamate. I understand that this course of action had previously been put on hold due to the lack of such an agreement. Now that the proposed amalgamation is being supported by all concerned, the next step is for a technical assessment to be carried out on...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A key element of delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, the new action plan for educational inclusion is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools for the purposes of qualifying for resources, both human and financial, according to the degree of disadvantage experienced. This standardised system...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for a new school building from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for largescale projects and assigned a band two rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: In 2005, there were 91 active legal cases involving provision for children with special educational needs to which my Department was a party. Of these, one case progressed to hearing and judgment was given in favour of the State. In 2005, my Department spent a total of €1,285,751.89 on legal costs and settlements associated with court cases relating to educational provision for children...

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

Mary Hanafin: The architectural service for this project is being dealt with in-house by the school building section and the project is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. It is not possible at this point to indicate when the architectural planning process will be completed. There are five stages in this process and the timeframe for completing them is contingent on various factors,...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for major capital grant aid has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. Progress on the project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

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

Mary Hanafin: A total of 133 inspections of Irish were carried out in post-primary schools in 2004 and 2005. The locations by county are as follows: Number Carlow 5 Cavan 2 Clare 4 Cork 12 Donegal 3 Dublin 34 Galway 7 Kerry 11 Kildare 3 Kilkenny 3 Laois 1 Limerick 4 Louth 4 Mayo 3 Meath 5 Monaghan 3 Offaly 2 Sligo 4 Tipperary 4 Waterford 6 ...

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

Mary Hanafin: The role, remit and responsibilities of inspectors of Irish for post-primary schools are in accordance with section 13(3) of the Education Act 1998. Apart from the general functions outlined in section 13(3) which apply to all inspectors, the responsibilities are further delineated in section 13(3)(f) which states that inspectors should evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching, development,...

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

Mary Hanafin: There are seven inspectors of Irish in my Department. This includes an inspector who is currently on a career break and two inspectors who are on secondment, one to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the other to An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. There are 736 post-primary schools in the system in the current school year: 398 secondary, 248...

Written Answers — VEC Inquiry: VEC Inquiry (31 Jan 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The cost of the inquiry referred to by the Deputy was €23,208.67. The inquiry report has been forwarded within the last week to a number of persons specifically referred to in the report. In addition, the report has been provided to County Clare VEC and I have asked the VEC for its proposals in the light of the report's findings, following which I will consider what action to take....

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

Mary Hanafin: Since 1 December 2005, I met deputations from both Blessington Community College and Brittas Bay National School, County Wicklow. Both Deputy Dick Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Deputy Liz McManus also attended these meetings.