Results 7,201-7,220 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of child protection and ensuring that all children in every primary school are aware of child protection issues are high priority areas for my Department. The 'Stay Safe' programme is a personal safety programme for children. It is designed to give children the knowledge and necessary skills to help them deal with potentially abusive or threatening situations. However, it is also...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next September there will no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Not only is the average class size in our primary schools down to 24, but there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc. Children with special...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware the pupil in question is in receipt of five hours resource teaching support together with the services of a full time special needs assistant. The issue referred to in the correspondence attached relates to the retention of a particular special needs assistant in a school. I wish to advise the Deputy that the practice of issuing child-specific contracts ceased in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Circular 23/06, outlining the terms with regard to the appointment of Administrative Principals for the school year 2006/07, was issued by my Department recently. In order to qualify for the allocation of an Administrative Post, a primary school is required to have a minimum staff of Principal and 7 mainstream class teachers or, where there are less that 7 mainstream teachers in the school,...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table included with this answer. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next September there will no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Not only is the average class size in our primary schools down to 24, but there is now one...

Written Answers — : (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 235 together. The school to which the Deputy refers is not among the primary schools selected for participation in the School Support Programme under the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) and is not participating in any of the pre-existing schemes for addressing educational disadvantage. The...

Written Answers — : (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The application for major capital funding from the school concerned has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale projects. Progress on the proposed works will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme from 2006 onwards.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The question of the provision of additional accommodation at the schools referred to by the Deputy is under examination in my Department at present. The progress of building projects arising from this examination will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006 to 2010.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school referred to has been granted recognition from Sept 2006, in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of the Education Act, 1998 and the published criteria for recognition of new schools.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (15 Jun 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. The ERC's overall approach was guided by the definition of educational...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is aware that the extensive information sought by him in relation to a large number of schools was not readily available within my Department when he sought it originally. However, information in relation to building grants for the schools concerned has since been collated and has now been sent to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: At the outset, I want to state that no school has been told that they are going to lose any of the resources that they have been receiving under pre-existing schemes for tackling disadvantage as a result of the introduction of the new DEIS initiative. On the contrary, the new School Support Programme is aimed at providing even more extra resources for the most disadvantaged schools in the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Jun 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 including the needs of pupils with autism. 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, there has been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together. This Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 2000 and the end of 2005, over €2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools — including 130 brand new schools and 510 large scale refurbishments/...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 92, inclusive, together. The statistical information requested by the Deputy is not immediately available in my Department. The information requested is being compiled, in so far as it is available, and will be issued directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The three Third Level Student Support Schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department, offer financial assistance to eligible students attending approved third level courses. Students entering approved courses for the first time are, generally speaking, eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age,...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Eligibility for grant assistance for the 2005/06 academic year must be assessed under the terms of my Department's Higher Education Grant Scheme 2005. Clause 2.2 of the Scheme states, inter alia, that: "A candidate shall not be eligible to hold a grant under this Scheme if s/he holds: (i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another local Authority, a Vocational Education Committee or the...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under SI 373/2003 the State Examinations Commission has operational responsibility for the certificate examinations, including determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. This function is exercised in collaboration with schools. The normal practice is for the SEC to provide for the holding of examinations in the school where a...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (15 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Section 27 of the Education Act 1998 provides that Boards of Management in second level schools shall facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to student councils. Student councils are established in the majority of post-primary schools. I believe very strongly that you cannot just teach students about rights and responsibilities in the CSPE class, that you also have to give them actual...