Results 6,541-6,560 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205, 211, 223 and 225 together. I recently announced the appointment of Mr. John Fitzgerald, City Manager, Dublin City Council as Chairman of the Grangegorman Development Agency and I am now actively considering the other appointments to the Agency. In addition, I have recently written to the Minister for Health and Children, the Dublin Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 to 208, inclusive, together. Allowing developers to provide funding for new schools as part of their contribution under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 is a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I can inform the Deputy, however, the provisions of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, as...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 216 together. The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second level system. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principle determinant of funding. There are however significant differences in the approaches to insurance cover and the funding of services...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 222 together. I can confirm that the child in question is in receipt of full-time special needs assistant support and 5 hours resource teaching hours per week in the school referred to. The allocation of these supports are based on the individual assessed needs of the pupil and are not linked in any way to the giving children an even break scheme. My...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is not clear which school the Deputy is referring to as there are several primary schools in the area in question. If the Deputy provides specific details to the School Planning Section of my Department, it will be happy to provide him with an update on the project concerned.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am sure the Deputy would agree that it is important to make sure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities get all the extra support possible and will welcome the extra resources that DEIS will provide. I can assure the Deputy that there is no reason for schools that haven't been identified for the new programme to worry as they will continue to get support in line with the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works was requested to source a site for the new primary school at Kill, Co. Kildare. A suitable site for the new primary school at Kill, Co. Kildare has now been identified and an agreement on price, subject to contract, has been reached. The Office of Public Works is now awaiting receipt of the relevant Contract...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that following my meeting with the Christian Brothers Trustees yesterday, they have taken a decision to postpone the closure of the school to which the Deputy refers for another year. I welcome this development because it provides certainty for pupils, parents and teachers for the coming school year. Crucially it also allows my Department time to ensure that...

Written Answers — Ionaid Oideachais: Ionaid Oideachais (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Déanann an Teachta tagairt do chuid dos na hIonaid Oideachais sa líonra Ionad Oideachais atá suite go straitéiseach ar fud na tíre. Tá 21 Ionad Oideachais ag feidhmiú go lán aimseartha agus 9 gcinn ag feidhmiú ar bhonn páirt-aimseartha. Tá an líonra seo rí-thabhachtach maidir le polasaí mo Roinne i dtaobh fhorbairt ghairmiúil leanúnach a chur ar fáil d'oidí i gcomhthéacs...

Written Answers — Ionaid Oideachais: Ionaid Oideachais (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tá fhios agam go bhfuil an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta sásta tacaíocht a thabhairt don Ionad Náisiúnta Oideachais Gaeilge i mBaile Bhuirne. Tá ceist an Ionaid á plé faoi láthair leis an Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta agus déanfar cinneadh faoi chomh luath agus is féidir. Sa chomhthéacs sin tá sé ar intinn freisin dul i gcomhairle leis...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the Steering Committee of the Substance Misuse Prevention Programme has submitted to my Department a proposal with a number of options for extending the SMPP (Walk Tall Programme) to other areas of disadvantage which are outside the local drugs task forces. The proposals are currently under examination by officials and this examination involves consultation with the Walk...

Written Answers — Departmental Committees: Departmental Committees (4 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The membership of the audit committee in my Department is: Mr. Tom O'Higgins (External) (Chairperson); Mr. Dave Wilson (External); Ms Bernadette Lacey (External) Director General, Department of Social and Family Affairs; Mr. Paul Ryan, Principal Officer, Department of Education and Science; and, Mr. Pádraig MacSitric, Assistant Chief Inspector, Department of Education & Science.

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has reached agreement on the terms of a redundancy package for special need assistants (SNAs) employed in primary and second level schools. I expect that confirmation of the provisions of the redundancy arrangements will issue to schools shortly. In this particular case, I can confirm that an application form for redundancy payment has been received in my Department. My...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The guidelines can only be deviated from where a school...

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding has been approved for this school under the Summer Works Scheme 2006 to carry out the works in question.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Projected long-term enrolments at the school referred to by the Deputy have dropped since the proposal for a new school was originally approved. Before committing significant capital resources to the planned new school it is essential to confirm that the provision of a new second level school in the area is absolutely warranted. A review of second-level provision in the area is nearing...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Since the establishment of the NEPS in 1999, the number of NEPS psychologists has increased from 43 to 122 at present, with a financial provision of €15.425 million for 2006. The Public Appointments Service recently concluded a new recruitment competition for the appointment of Educational Psychologists to NEPS. Regional panels have been established to allow my Department give greater...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy was listed among the 43 schools that I announced to start architectural planning in March of 2005. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has appointed a full Design Team on the project with the architectural service for this project being dealt with in-house by the School Building Section and indeed, substantial work on the early stages of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. If the Deputy has a query about a particular school my Department will be happy to provide the information.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to an average mainstream class size of 29 pupils for the 2005-06 school year. Posts allocated on the basis of this schedule are specifically for mainstream classes and should be deployed accordingly. Schools authorities are requested to ensure that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible,...