Results 5,841-5,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's planning guidelines for new post-primary school buildings allows for the provision of an 80 sq. m. music-drama room for schools that offer music as a subject on the school curriculum. The guidelines also allow for the provision of fixed and loose furniture and demountable staging. In addition, my Department provides grant aid for the purchase of musical instruments and...

Written Answers — School Insurance: School Insurance (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 to 227, inclusive, together. I am not aware of the cost of insurance incurred by individual primary and secondary schools as it is a matter for the managerial authorities of the individual schools to arrange insurance cover on school property and against public liability. Funding is provided to primary and secondary schools by way of per capita grants,...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The person concerned applied to the registration council on 18 January 2006 to have his qualifications assessed to determine their suitability for the purposes of teaching at post-primary level. The council is in the process of carrying out this assessment at present and the applicant will be notified of its decision on the matter in due course.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Mar 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is currently considering a report from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, in relation to the application in question. My officials will notify all relevant parties when a decision on the application has been made.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for a PE hall at the school referred to by the Deputy has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects. This project has been assigned a band 4 rating and its progress will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed refurbishment and extension project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. Following increased enrolments in the school, a revised schedule of overall accommodation issued to the school in late 2005. A planning and briefing meeting was held in October 2005 and the school's mechanical and electrical engineer was requested to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The tender report in respect of the new school in question was received by my Department in early December 2005 and has since been assessed. When the legalities associated with the site transfer are concluded, I expect that my Department will be in a position to approve the appointment of the successful contractor and for the construction phase to commence.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Mar 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 (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The contract documents for the purchase of the site for a new national school in Ardclough, County Kildare, were received by the Chief State Solicitor's office on 24 January 2006. The conditions under which the property is being offered are currently being examined.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded to him directly on completion.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (2 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the free fees initiative my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students. The main conditions are that students must be first-time undergraduates and hold EU nationality or official refugee status and have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. The candidate...

EU Summits. (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is a personal choice.

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 510 together. 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...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495, 524, 525 together. Physical education and sport, although closely linked, are not synonymous. Sport begins with play and develops through games, competition and challenges. The focus in the physical education curriculum in our schools is on the learner's holistic development, with an emphasis on personal and social development, physical growth, and motor...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The draft area development plan for the north Dublin-east Meath-south Louth area is close to completion in the school planning section of my Department and I hope to be in a position to publish it shortly. Following this, a public consultation process will be carried out by the Commission on School Accommodation. The commission will produce a final area development plan shortly thereafter....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499, 531 together. Coláiste Mhuire Marino, which is one of five privately-owned denominational colleges of education recognised by my Department for the purpose of training primary teachers, is part of the overall Marino Institute of Education, MIE. MIE is registered as a charitable trust and it is a privately owned institution. MIE is governed by a governing...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have decided to establish an inquiry, under the provisions of section 105 of the Vocational Education Act 1930 into Kilkenny City Vocational School. The terms of reference of the inquiry will be forwarded to the Deputy for his information. The inquiry will be conducted by Mr. Torlach O'Connor, a retired assistant chief inspector of my Department. I have asked the inquiry officer to conduct...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand from my officials that the child in question is on the waiting list for placement in a stand alone unit utilising the applied behavioural analysis, ABA, methodology for children on the autistic spectrum. Approval on a pilot basis was given to this facility in a letter issued by my Department on 31 May 2005. Enrolment is a matter for the board of management of the facility. A...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Government has put in place a number of measures at all levels to help non-English speaking students to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them. These include the provision of language support teachers and non-pay resources for primary and post-primary schools to cater for the needs of pupils for whom English is not the mother tongue; the provision of funding to...