Results 7,001-7,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Management of each individual school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment by schools. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 to 568, inclusive, together. In recent years a new planning model for educational infrastructure has been introduced in order to ensure that in future, school provision is decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a locality have the opportunity to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department recently received an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for a new school building. The application is currently being assessed. A decision in the matter will issue to the school authority as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The inspectorate of my department has completed the field work in relation to a focused evaluation of the teaching of Irish in 45 primary schools and reports have been issued to the individual schools. Analysis of the data collected is currently under way and it is expected that the report based on the findings of this evaluation will be available by the end of 2006. This will deal with...

Written Answers — Education Reports: Education Reports (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Schools must ensure that parents of a student have access to records maintained by the school relating to the student's progress in his or her education. Section 20 of the Act places an obligation on schools to establish procedures for informing parents of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Section 22(2)(b) of the Act, states that "the Principal and teachers...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department allocates additional teaching hours to Vocational Education Committees (VECs) to support the delivery of education programmes in a range of facilities including special schools under the heading Co-Operation Hours with Other Institutions. These allocations are made in response to specific applications which are submitted by the relevant VEC in advance of the commencement of the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of correspondence from County Monaghan Vocational Education Committee regarding the candidate referred to by the Deputy. The case is under consideration within my Department and a response will be furnished to the candidate as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Planning: Schools Planning (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department meets on a regular basis with the Planning Department of South Dublin County Council with a view to identifying the need for additional educational provision and reserving sites for schools if deemed necessary. With regards to Tallaght, and particularly, the proposed Tallaght Town Centre local area plan, officials of the School Planning Section of my Department are currently...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In December 2005 I announced funding for four major capital projects at the Institute of Technology, Tallaght (IT,Tallaght) to be delivered under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Officials from my Department held an information session earlier this year with all of the third level institutions that have projects to be delivered through PPP, including IT, Tallaght. My Department has...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 577 together. The new DEIS programme will be of huge benefit to schools in Mayo. 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 for Mayo schools. I can assure the Deputy that there is...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in the new School Support Programme under DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of the Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. In the case of second-level schools, the Department supplied the ERC...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school for a particular school year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. This staffing schedule for the 2006/07 school year is outlined in Primary Circular 0023/2006 which was issued to all primary schools. To ensure openness and transparency in the system...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information is not readily available in the format as requested by the Deputy. However if the Deputy requires information on specific schools in County Donegal, officials in the School Planning and Building Unit of my Department will assist with such queries. The Deputy can be assured that I am committed to funding the provision of PE, general purpose and outdoor play areas in schools as...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to provide additional classroom and ancillary accommodation has been received from the school. My Department is currently examining enrolment and demographic trends in the area in order to determine the long-term projected staffing figure on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When this...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to clarify that officials in my Department had, in error, understood the initial question to relate to the most recent developments in mainstream post primary education provision in the Charleville area as distinct from the provision of special education facilities in a special school in the same town. The proposed new school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application from Waterford Institute of Technology for university status, under section 9 of the Universities Act 1997, has been received and is being examined in my Department at present.

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to confirm that a letter requesting that my Department would arrange that all schools observe a one minute vigil to commemorate Irish famine victims and emigrants was received. It would not be appropriate for my Department to issue schools with an instruction to observe a commemorative vigil. Since the board of management of each school has responsibility for determining such matters...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for additional classroom accommodation for September 2006. The application is being assessed and the school authority will be notified of the outcome shortly. The school also recently submitted an application for major capital grant aid. This application will be assessed in accordance with the published...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that additional funding has been approved under the Summer Works Scheme 2006 to enable the school in question to proceed with the works sanctioned under that Scheme. The school was also approved in 2005 for funding under the Devolved Initiative for the provision of additional accommodation and renovation of the existing school building. The school has sought...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a general purpose room, staff room, multipurpose room and storage capacity has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and is being considered in the context of the School Building and...