Results 7,241-7,260 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am providing the Deputy with the total expenditure incurred by my Department on both the purchase and rental of temporary accommodation for primary and post primary schools nationally since 1998. It is not possible to readily provide this information for years prior to 1998; or to provide the information in the format that the Deputy has requested. Nationally, between 1998 and the end of...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 483 together. My Department's Inspectorate carried out an Evaluation of Educational Provision for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) which has recently been published and can also be accessed through my Department's website. This inspectorate report describes an evaluation of the education that is provided for children with ASD in a...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for students with special educational needs, including pupils with Downs Syndrome. 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...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the local area development plan for the N4/M4 corridor outlines my Department's long-term educational strategy at both primary and post-primary level for the area concerned. The recommendations in the plan are being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme from 2006 onwards subject to the prioritisation criteria for large scale...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department has urged school authorities to put in place book rental schemes, at both primary and post-primary level, to the greatest extent possible. To that end the School Books Grant Scheme may be used by school authorities for the support of book loan/rental schemes. In respect of the 2005/2006 school year, primary schools operating book rental schemes were paid â¬23.20 in respect of...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Higher Education Grants scheme grant 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 Nationality requirement as set out in Clause 4.5 of the Vocational Education Committee Grant Scheme 2005 states that candidates must: hold E.U....
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Third Level Maintenance Grant Schemes (which are administered under the aegis of the Department, by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees) the position is that generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to residence, means, and nationality...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works placed a notification on the eTenders Public Procurement website seeking Expressions of Interest for the design, build, financing and maintenance of office buildings in three of the locations included in the decentralisation programme, including Mullingar on 1 June 2006. The call for expressions of interest is a preliminary stage in a process that will eventually...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The examination fee for school-based repeat Leaving Certificate candidates was â¬225 in 2004 and â¬236 in 2005. Special fees for repeat candidates were introduced in 1987 on the basis that it is not unreasonable to expect those who have already benefitted from the normal course of second level education, and who wish to take an extra year, to make a contribution towards the cost of...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Report of the Capital Review and Prioritisation Working Group under the Higher Education Authority (HEA) sets out a strategy to meet the future capital needs of the third level sector. In its submission to the Review Group, Tipperary Rural & Business Development Institute (TRBDI) included a proposal to develop a permanent campus in the planned Clonmel Technology Park (Ballingarrane...
- Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: With regard to the proposed amalgamation of the two schools to which the deputy refers, my department has requested the local inspector to provide long term projections for both the boy's and girl's schools to establish the extent of accommodation which will be needed to facilitate the amalgamation. In addition, a technical inspection has been carried out on the existing buildings to...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school referred to has been granted initial approval for the rental of temporary classroom accommodation for the school year 2006 to 2007. The initial letter of approval was issued to the school authorities on the 6th of June 2006 and the school must now return the form of acceptance included in that letter. The final approval for rental of temporary...
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The provision of PE Halls at post-primary level is considered an integral part of the design stage for any major refurbishment programme of existing school buildings. All applications received in the Department are banded in accordance with the prioritisation criteria put in place following consultation with the Education partners. The PE Hall project at the school referred to by the Deputy...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department are currently examining an application for additional accommodation submitted by the school authorities. However no mention of the inadequate dimensions of the staff room are made in the application. My Department would be happy to examine any submission from the school in relation to the need for extra facilities for staff accommodation in the context of the School Building and...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened, with provisional recognition from my Department, in September 2005. During the period of provisional recognition, it is the responsibility of the school patron to provide interim accommodation. This accommodation must be capable of fully meeting the needs of the developing school until permanent recognition has been secured and my Department is in...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The project referred to by the Deputy is one of 122 projects I announced last year for proceeding to tender and construction over a 12 to 15 month period. Issues in relation to the site for this new 16 classroom school have recently been finalised and this now enables work to be done on the detailed design for the lodgement of planning permission. My Department is using a generic repeat...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The most recent information on class sizes for County Clare is for the 2005/2006 school year and is as follows: Classes of 19 and under â 1,890 pupils: Classes of 20 to 29 â 6,746 pupils: Classes of 30 to 39 â 3,116 pupils: Classes of 40 plus â 41 pupils. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next September there...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department has 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 — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy was granted provisional recognition earlier this year. This recognition is contingent on the proposed accommodation meeting the criteria as set out in the Department's guidelines under the Criteria for the Recognition of New Schools. These criteria state that "In accordance with Section 10 (2) (e) of the Education Act 1998, the proposed interim...
- Written Answers — Schools Funding: Schools Funding (20 Jun 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 491 together. As the Deputies will be aware, differing funding arrangements have evolved for the different school types at second level. 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 the funding of back-up services such as for...