Results 7,261-7,280 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Insurance Industry: Insurance Industry (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Insurance costs for schools are entirely a matter for the managerial authorities of individual schools. My Department provides funding to primary and secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. This is in my view a preferable approach to putting in place grants for specific...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €820,000 was sanctioned in March 2006 under the Small Schools Scheme to enable the management authority of the school in question to provide a new three classroom school. The Devolved Initiative allows Boards of Management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An official from my Department has been in contact with the school in question regarding additional works required to the school building. The school management has been advised to submit an application for funding for the works in question and when this is received in my Department, the matter will be given urgent consideration.

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The relocation of DIT, which is currently spread over 30 different sites in Dublin, to a 65-acre campus in Grangegorman is a major priority for this Government. The move will enable the Institute to provide better academic and support services for its nearly 20,000 students. It also has great potential to regenerate an underdeveloped area of the North Inner city. I recently appointed Mr. John...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 496 and 497 together. 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 — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There is no absence of a direct liaison between schools and my Department. The evaluation of all school policies, including a policy to deal with bullying behaviour, is part of the Whole School Evaluation process. WSE involves a full examination of all the varied activities of a school — from teaching standards to the availability of extra-curricular activities, the ethos of the school and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. If the Deputy would like information on a particular school or schools, my officials would be happy to provide it. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous...

Written Answers — Cómhaoiniú Tionscadail Scoile: Cómhaoiniú Tionscadail Scoile (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tá áthas orm a dheimhniú, ar bhonn ranníoc suntasach áitiúil a bheith á chur ar fáil ag pobal na scoile agus tiomantas ó mo chomhghleacaí an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cómhaoiniú a dhéanamh faoin Scéim Feabhsúcháin Gaeltachta, gur cheadaigh mé an tionscadal Halla Corpoideachais a chur tríd an bpróiseas pleanála ailtireachta agus ar aghaidh go...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 to 504, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs, including children with Down Syndrome. The precise level of support is determined by the special educational needs of the particular child. Children with Down Syndrome are entitled to additional...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Jun 2006)

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

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department operates a scheme of grants to primary and post primary schools to facilitate the purchase of special equipment, including computers, for the use of pupils with special educational needs. Under the terms of the scheme, pupils may with the consent of the Board of Management of the school, use such computer equipment at home to assist them in their education. It is open to the...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 233 together. 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 my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. The ERC's overall...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of the architectural planning process and was listed in my announcement of April 2005 as a project to progress through the architectural planning process up to pre-tender stage. In December 2005 following a review of the long-term accommodation needs of the school, my Department's officials visited the school...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The provisional student numbers for the 2005/06 academic year indicate that there are a total of 90 students on Clinical Psychologist courses in Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland, Galway and the University of Limerick. The course in NUI, Galway commenced in the 2003/04 academic year while the course at the University of Limerick only...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 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 — State Examinations: State Examinations (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. I understand from the State Examinations Commission that all observations received by the Commission in relation to the Leaving Certificate...

Written Answers — Class Sizes: Class Sizes (21 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions among the relevant parties, including the relevant religious authorities, are ongoing at present in relation to the issue raised. The outcome of these discussions will be notified to the relevant parties in due course.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has been in discussions with the management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy regarding the long term accommodation needs of the school. In conjunction with the local inspector, it has been determined that a 16 classroom primary school will adequately meet the long term requirements of the school. The management authority of the school has proposed that their...