Results 6,421-6,440 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I travelled to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations, accompanied by two persons in my party. The duration of the visit was three days, from 21 March to 23 March 2006 inclusive. The total cost of the trip has not yet been finalised but the amount paid to date by my Department is €17,355.37. The itinerary included the following engagements;...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently, and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs or SEN supports. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that an application for individual resource hours has been received by the local special educational...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The extension and refurbishment project for the schools referred to by the Deputy commenced on site in October 2005. The contract period is for 12 months. The cost of the project is in excess of €4 million. The work to the junior school consists of re-roofing the existing school, new single storey bay windows, internal refurbishment and alteration works. The work to the senior school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. As the Deputy is aware, enormous progress has been made over the past number of years...

Written Answers — Student Representation: Student Representation (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I recently announced the appointment of Mr. John Fitzgerald, city manager, Dublin City Council as chairman of the Grangegorman Development Agency. I am now actively considering the other appointments to the agency. The Deputy will be interested to know that Section 22 of the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 provides for the establishment, by the agency, of a consultative group. This...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted. In view of this, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply.

Written Answers — Schools Inspectorate: Schools Inspectorate (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of quality of teaching within a school falls within the remit of the board of management and principal of that school. It is the duty of the board to provide, or cause to be provided, an appropriate education for all students attending the school. The Education Act requires that "schools use their available resources to establish and maintain systems whereby the efficiency and...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As I indicated in reply to Parliamentary Question Number 381 on 6 April 2006, section 15 of the Education Act 1998 requires boards of management of schools to uphold, and be accountable to the patron for upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, educational, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 833 and 834 together. I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department funds educational services for persons with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, from the time that they are enrolled in school. The special educational needs of such children can be addressed in special schools, in special dedicated classes attached to ordinary schools, or on an...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 835 and 836 together. There are components in the pre-service training courses for primary teachers which enable student teachers to recognise and deal with children with special educational needs, including pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. At second level, there are elements to both the higher diploma in education and the education...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The inspectors' reports on the individual schools involved are expected to be available shortly. Discussions will be held with representatives of the interested parties when all of the reports have been received and considered.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. As the Deputy is aware, enormous progress has been made over the past number of years...

Written Answers — Irish Exemption: Irish Exemption (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The guidelines in relation to an exemption from the study of Irish at post-primary level are set out in circular M10/94. Under the terms of this circular students, in the following circumstances, may be allowed to substitute any other subject from the list of approved subjects for Irish: students whose primary education up to 11 years of age was received in Northern Ireland or outside...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The student assistance fund is available to students experiencing particular or unexpected hardship during their course of study. The fund is allocated on a per capita basis to publicly-funded higher education institutions. In 2005-06, 35 institutions received funding totalling €5.8 million. More than 12,000 students benefited from the fund during 2004-05. Until 2005, the amount of funding...

Written Answers — Part-time Students: Part-time Students (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans at present to extend the free tuition fees schemes to include part-time students. Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides tax relief for eligible persons, at the standard rate of tax, for tuition fees paid in respect of approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including certain approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU member...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the following table: Number of Pupils by Class Size Range for 2005/2006 Roll No. School Address 1 Class Size Range 0-9 10-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40 And Over 17732M Scoil Chiaráin Ascal Uí Choileáin 0 71 0 0 0 0 0 17977T Scoil Áine Cailíní Raheny 0 0 47 81 187 0 0 ...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The special educational needs organiser, SENO, reviewed the professional reports submitted by the school for the child in question. The reports indicated that the child did not have a clear diagnosis of autism and therefore would not be appropriately placed in a pre-school or early intervention class for children with autism. The SENO then met the parents of the child in question and advised...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the following table. Nine of the 25 schools listed do not cater for infant classes. Number of Pupils in Infant Standards in 2005/2006 Roll No. School Address 1 Number of Pupils Junior Infants Senior Infants 13815T Howth Rd Mxd N S Howth Rd 10 13 16753P St.Vincent De Paul's Girls School Griffith Avenue...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. With effect from 1 January 2005, the national council for special education, NCSE, has taken over key...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the student support grant schemes assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The process of assessing eligibility for third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. Officials of my Department...