Results 5,641-5,660 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I am sure the Deputy will be pleased to hear that a school in the location referred to is included in a recent announcement to appoint an architectural design team to provide accommodation to cater for children with specific special educational needs. I am most anxious that all children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, receive an education appropriate to their needs. My...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 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 project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 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 grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. These are the higher education grants scheme; the Vocational Education Committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The tables provided show the number of posts filled as at 31 January 2006 in those sections of my Department scheduled to decentralise to Athlone and Mullingar. The tables also show the number of people currently assigned to each of these sections who have indicated that they are willing to relocate with the post to which they are assigned. The numbers shown take account of work sharing patterns.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. The staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2005-06 school year was considered by the...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The latest data published by my Department on retention rates in second-level schools relate to the cohort of entrants to the first year of junior cycle in 1996. Students in this cohort would have sat the leaving certificate in either 2002 or 2003, depending on whether they took the transition year programme. The published data for the 1996 cohort indicate an average "unadjusted" retention...

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

Mary Hanafin: At present, there is a range of support services for students with a disability in the institute of technology sector. These include learning support, including needs assessment and support for students with learning difficulties, assistive technology services and the provision of additional support staff such as sign-language interpreters or note takers. Students who have difficulty with...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy are currently in temporary accommodation, which is grant aided by my Department. My Department acknowledges the need for a long-term solution to both schools' accommodation difficulties and is committed to working to achieve a satisfactory solution as soon as possible. Officials in school planning section are considering a number of options to meet both...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that tenders have been received and the board of management of the school has issued a letter of intent to the lowest tenderer. The board of management is currently awaiting confirmation that the lowest tenderer has all necessary insurances, bonds and so on in place. On receipt of this confirmation a formal tender acceptance letter will issue. Construction...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The project referred to by the Deputy was included on the 2005 school building and modernisation programme under the category "to progress to tender and construction". The stage 3 documentation or detailed design was recently examined by the Department's technical staff. Clarification was sought in relation to aspects of the stage 3 documentation. This clarification has now been received and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that contracts for the transfer of the site for the school in question have been signed. In order for this transaction to formally close, the agreement of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests is required. It is the responsibility of the vendor to refer the transfer contracts to the commissioners. Accordingly, confirmation from the vendor's...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, that the school in question is assigned a NEPS psychologist but that the school has not as yet prioritised the pupil in question for assessment. NEPS encourages a stage assessment process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy have agreed in principle to amalgamate. However, the final details of the amalgamation process are currently the subject of discussions between the boards of management, the patron and the school planning section of my Department. It is anticipated that the matter will be finalised in the near future.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question has been approved to proceed to stage 4-5, planning permission, fire certification, bill of quantities, tender documentation, of architectural planning. This is the final stage before the invitation of tenders. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction as part of the 2006 schools building...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that on 14 December 2005 my Department gave devolved authority for the project in question to proceed to tender and construction. Planning permission and a fire certificate for the project have been applied for and tender documents are currently under preparation by the project's design team.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included in my announced list of school projects to be progressed through architectural planning. The project is at stage 3, developed sketch scheme. A letter to the board of management seeking an updated cost plan as part of the stage 3 submission was issued by my Department on 16 February 2006. Pending receipt in my Department of this...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Government promised to drive forward the schools IT programme in the agreed programme for Government of June 2002. This commitment is being adhered to by the Government, as evidenced by the roll out of broadband connectivity my Department is currently pursuing to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry following the establishment of a...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on the development of a national system of standardised testing for primary school children, whereby all pupils would take standardised tests in literacy and numeracy at the end of first class or at the beginning of second class and at the end of fourth class or at the...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's second report on school retention published in October 2005 is based on a detailed analysis of the records held in the post-primary pupils database for the cohort of entrants to the first year of the junior cycle in each of the years 1995 and 1996. It must be noted that the figures refer to retention in State aided second level schools only. They do not take account of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information as requested by the Deputy is not readily available. This Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 1998 and the end of 2004, almost €2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools, including 130 brand new schools and 510 large scale...