Results 6,581-6,600 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy with regard to schools in County Kerry which have applications with my Department for new schools, refurbishments or extensions is not readily available in the format requested. However, should the Deputy have queries relating to specific individual schools officials in School Planning Section of my Department would be happy to assist. With regard to...

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

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably through the primary and post primary school network. My Department supports an eclectic approach to the education of children with autism where a range of teaching methods can be applied specific to the needs of individual pupils. I...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, I recently made an announcement giving recognition to six new Primary Schools with effect from September, 2006. As part of that announcement, I indicated that I had deferred a decision in relation to three other schools including the one to which the Deputy refers. My Department will be corresponding with the Patron bodies in the coming days outlining the position...

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

Mary Hanafin: While my Department has no immediate plans to purchase the site referred to by the Deputy, we will continue to monitor the demand for school places in the Stepaside area to ensure that any extra demand for post primary school places is met in a timely manner.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm for the Deputy that my officials have contacted the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in relation to this matter. I will arrange for a letter to issue to the Deputy once the relevant information has been received from the NCSE.

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works has been requested to source a site for the school in question. The requirement for a suitable site was recently advertised in the relevant local newspapers. An examination of all proposals will be undertaken after 12th May 2006, the closing date for submissions of offers.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third-level students. The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates on a statutory basis, while the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme and the Third-Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees operate on an administrative basis. The statutory framework for maintenance grants under the Higher Education Grants...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans at present to extend the free tuition fees schemes to include part-time students. I wish to advise the Deputy of the provisions under Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997. This 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...

Written Answers — Communications Masts: Communications Masts (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the drafting of Planning and Development Regulations is a matter for the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the siting of individual mobile phone masts is a matter for the relevant planning authority.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for maintenance grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. Under the terms of my Department's four Student Maintenance Grant Schemes, grants are...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Third Level Student Support Schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, a student is not eligible for grant assistance in respect of a second period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether a grant was paid previously. The schemes also provide that grants may not be...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. However, should the Deputy require information in relation to a specific school, or schools, I would be happy to arrange to have this provided.

Written Answers — Court Cases: Court Cases (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy refers to litigation taken against the State in which my Department is a named party and in this context I cannot comment on any individual case. I can confirm that at present there are 80 active legal cases involving provision for children with special educational needs to which my Department is a party. The Deputy will be aware of the enormous progress made over the past number...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of national schools. The capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €57.14 per pupil to €133.58 with effect from 1st January, 2005...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (9 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is one of the options of the expanded senior cycle provision designed to cater for the diversity of participants' needs. The programme was introduced in 1996 and it has proved to be most successful. The success of the Leaving Certificate Applied is evidenced by the continuing substantial increase in the level of participation in the programme. When it was...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (10 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers was not selected to participate in the new School Support Programme under DEIS, as it did not meet the criteria developed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC), who managed the identification process under DEIS on behalf of my Department. In the case of second-level schools, my Department supplied the ERC with centrally-held data from the Post-Primary...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy originally applied for an extension and refurbishment to provide for improved ancillary accommodation only and the application did not include proposals for additional mainstream classrooms. Given the then falling rates of enrolment at the school and having regard to competing demands on the building programme the application was at that time afforded a...

Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (10 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The closing date for receipt of grant applications for 2006/07 academic year will be 31 August 2006. The awarding bodies, at their own absolute discretion, may accept applications after this date. These applications are considered late applications and some awarding bodies have a policy of dealing firstly with applications received before the closing date and then attending to the "late...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (10 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The finalised text of the Harris Report — Irish in Primary Schools: Long-term National trends in Achievement — was received in the Department on 9 February, 2006. It was transferred to an outside agency for translation on 28 February, 2006. The draft translation was received by the Department on 26 April, 2006. A contract price has been agreed but no payment has been made for the...