Results 5,421-5,440 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession, is an issue of concern to me. It is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I genuinely believe that teaching should be seen as an...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together. Capital funding is provided under the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's policy to combat educational disadvantage and early school leaving is designed to include related and complementary strategies to improve participation rates and outcomes in mainstream school. It is also designed to provide second-chance education and training for those who left school early without any qualification. The problem of early school leaving requires movement on a...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The total provision for educational inclusion programmes in 2006 is approximately €647 million across all levels of education provision, ranging from pre-school interventions, supports for tackling children's literacy problems, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, increased capitation grants, free book grants scheme, measures to tackle early school leaving and strengthen ties between the school,...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Teachers trained outside the jurisdiction of the State whose qualifications have been assessed and accepted by my Department but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification are granted a five year period of provisional recognition to teach in mainstream classes in national schools. During this period these teachers are expected to obtain their Irish language qualification,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 598 and 599 together. My Department has acknowledged the need for accommodation at the school to which the Deputy refers. However, the fact that the school is located in a mature part of Lucan complicates the identification of a suitable site, particularly given its desire to remain in close proximity to its church. The school authority undertook to carry out...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am most anxious that all children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, receive an education appropriate to their needs. My Department provides dedicated facilities for the education of children with autism nationally, including the area referred to by the Deputy. These include the creation of 159 special classes for children with autism attached to special schools and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension at the school has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The long-term accommodation needs of the school are being examined. When this is completed, the building project required to address the long-term accommodation needs of the school will be considered in the context of the school building and...

School Management. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The basis for recognising new primary schools derives from the provisions of the Education Act 1998 which allows a prospective patron to seek approval for a school that reflects the characteristic spirit of the sponsor. More recently, through the establishment of the new school advisory committee my Department has put in place a structured, open, transparent and consultative process under...

School Management. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The obligation of the State is to provide education. Where applications are made for a school by various groups around the country they are subjected to public consultation and the commission on schools analyses the need in a particular area. That does not necessarily mean that complete freedom of choice is available in every area. The historical reality is that schools were provided by the...

School Management. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have visited a few hundred schools in the past year and every school welcomes every child of every denomination and their families. It would be very wrong to give the impression that these children are not welcomed or included, irrespective of where the school is based. Children have rights under the Education Act 1998. Section 30 of that Act provides that no student is required to attend...

School Management. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have no intention of changing the management of schools throughout the country. I am not the manager or owner of schools. I do not own the sites and I am not a patron, so it is not possible to do so, nor do I want to ignore the contribution made by the present boards of management. The Deputy will have heard me refer to her party leader as being akin to Henry VIII trying to force the...

School Management. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is interesting to look at the new schools advisory committee and what has developed in recent years. Of the 25 new primary schools 12 are multi-denominational, six are Gaelscoileanna and just seven are denominational. Change is happening and it is being facilitated. We are open to the needs of an ever-changing Ireland but it does not mean we should have a one size fits all approach...

Schools Building Projects. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As I have told the House before, the potential implications for school provision arising from new residential developments should be taken into account when such developments are being planned and approved. This places responsibilities on local authorities and on my Department to work together and I am happy to report that there are a number of very positive developments in that regard. My...

Schools Building Projects. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I take issue with councils which do not take seriously their responsibilities for the provision of extra facilities or schools, granting instead planning permission for large numbers of houses without regard for the knock-on effects on education provision. From my Department's point of view, the area development plan enables us to look ten to 15 years into the future, while a number of the...

Schools Building Projects. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Second level provision is also included in the area development plans. The Deputy will be aware that I met a deputation on the Donabate issue. Obviously certain matters need to be resolved, including the type and size of the school and who should be appointed patron. Once those issues are solved——

Schools Building Projects. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: ——it will be possible to progress the matter.

School Discipline. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that last year I established a task force on student behaviour in second level schools. This task force produced a mid-year interim report and has recently completed its final report as scheduled. I am very grateful to the task force and its chairperson, Ms Maeve Martin, for the detailed consideration they gave to this broad area in a relatively short time. The task...

School Discipline. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I will not be drawn into a discussion of the content of the report but will try to reply in a more general sense. Section 29 of the Education Act has been discussed in the House and it has been proven that where proper procedures are in place, the section favours schools. This can be demonstrated by the results of appeals over recent years. For example, of the 87 appeals made in 2003 and 2004...

School Discipline. (15 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am not in discussions because the report has now been presented to me, as Minister, and it is up to me to make a decision on its contents. The debate has taken place and the education partners have all been given an opportunity to contribute. They want to see what my input will be and that is the next step. I made a very wide-ranging speech last year where I questioned a number of issues...