Results 5,601-5,620 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second and Subsequent Stages. (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I thank my colleagues for their support in taking the Bill and their support for the teaching profession generally, which was my former profession. When Deputy McGrath talked about the need for more males in the classroom I am sure he is not wishing himself back in the classroom after the next election, nor would we wish that upon him. This is a good opportunity for us to talk about the work...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together. All primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either directly from psychologists employed under the Department of Education and Science's National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, which is administered by NEPS....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science has received promotional material from the person referred to by the Deputy about a method which he has developed to deal with bullying in schools. The material is being considered and a response will issue to the person in due course. Officials from the Department have spoken with the person on a number of occasions.

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The evaluation of all school policies, including a policy to deal with bullying, is part of the whole school evaluation process, which involves a full examination of all the varied activities of a school from teaching standards to the availability of extra-curricular activities, the ethos of the school and the implementation of policies in areas such as bullying and health and safety. The...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The management of the school referred to by the Deputy contacted the school building section of the Department of Education and Science some time ago about the provision of wheelchair access. An application form was issued but does not appear to have been returned to the Department. I have arranged that a further form be issued to the school. As soon as the completed form is returned, it will...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Feb 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 two submission, an outline sketch scheme. The stage two submission has not yet been received by my Department. As the board of...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Feb 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, that is, up to and including advanced architectural planning. In order to bring this project to the required stage, my Department's...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Draft contract documents have issued to the Office of Public Works. This documentation is now being examined by the Chief State Solicitor's Office.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tenders for this project were returned in late October and the tender report was received in my Department in late December. Examination of the report by my Department's technical staff is nearing completion. My Department will be in contact with the school management as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The capital funding at primary level for 2006 is €277 million and is being used to fund one of the most ambitious building programmes in the history of the State. About half of the allocation will be used to fund existing projects already underway with the balance being used for the many other sub-elements of the building programme, including the summer works scheme, new large scale...

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under the summer works scheme 2006 for the provision of a covered walkway. Unfortunately, the category applying to this type of project was not reached. It will be open to the school authority to apply for funding for the works under a subsequent summer works scheme.

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an appeal from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers regarding an unsuccessful summer works scheme application. This appeal is being considered and officials in the school planning section will contact the school directly when a decision has been made.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: While the closing date for receipt of applications to the redress board was 15 December 2005, the board has received 64 applications after this date. The board is considering the position of these applications having regard to the provisions of section 8 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 which only allows for late applications to be processed in exceptional circumstances. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The need for an extension at the school referred to by the Deputy is acknowledged by my Department. While preparatory work on the school's application progressed, a design team was not appointed. The school's long-term accommodation needs are now being reviewed to ensure that the project planned for the school will meet the existing and anticipated needs of pupils in the area. Since 2003 my...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 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. As is normal practice with all applications, my officials are in regular contact with the school authority in regard to its proposed project. The project will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding towards the extension and refurbishment of the school referred to by the Deputy. The school's 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 — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate courses in approved PLC centres. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 589 and 591 together. I wish to advise that the information requested by the Deputy in relation to waiting lists for special schools is not available in my Department, nor would the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have such information readily to hand. The progression of pupils on such waiting lists would depend on the individual schools...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the Saplings autism-specific facility, based in Rathfarnham, south Dublin, that has been established to cater for children on the autistic spectrum. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the waiting list at the facility is not available in my Department. This facility is one of 12 autism-specific facilities that are operating on a...