Results 7,601-7,620 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In view of the presence of asbestos in the roof of the school in question, the works are being carried out under the direction of the Office of Public Works who is managing the Asbestos Remediation Programme on behalf of my Department. I understand that the contracts for the project have been signed and that work has now commenced on site.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware that Sallins, Naas, and Kill, like many areas located within close proximity to Dublin, continue to experience population growth, a position that almost inevitably places some strain on existing educational provision. However, a range of significant measures has been undertaken by my Department to address the current and future need for pupil places in these areas. At primary...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the school to which he refers opened in September 2005. It currently accommodates two junior infant classes. When fully occupied, the school will operate as a two-stream 16-classroom school. To enable it develop in this manner, it can only enrol two junior infant classes annually. This incremental development is common to all newly established schools to ensure...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a letter issued to the school Authorities on 19 May 2006 giving approval to proceed to stage 3 (detailed plans / costs) of architectural planning. When a response is forwarded to my Department, my Officials will then be in a position to further progress this project.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The management authority of the school in question, the Vocational Education Committee, is currently progressing plans to re-locate the school and extend capacity to 1000 pupils. A formal planning application has been lodged with the Local Authority. That Authority requested further information, which the Committees' consultants provided. A planning decision is imminent.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has identified a suitable site for the school in question. Contract documents, for the site in question, have been received by the Chief State Solicitor's Office and are currently being examined. As soon as the site has been acquired, the school...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at both primary level 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...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years mainly due to the rapid expansion in teacher numbers particularly in the area of special needs, the growth in the school-going population in rapidly developing areas including the impact of inward migration and the demands to cater for diversity through the recognition of new...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at both primary level 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...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not have a formal policy facilitating dual enrolment. Children with special educational needs may transfer from special schools to special classes attached to ordinary primary school or to mainstream classes where they may attend on a fully integrated basis with the support of the resource teacher and special needs assistant service. In considering such transfers, it would...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Jul 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. Based on the enrolment on the 30th September 2005...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. Officials from my Department visited the School in question in June of last year to carry out a Technical inspection of the existing accommodation and to assess the needs of the pupils attending the School. The School authorities have embarked on a major redevelopment programme which...

Health Services. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I will take this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Department of Health and Children has been in touch with the HSE and has been advised that...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Shortall for raising this matter and for speaking about the school completion programme, a very successful programme targeted at children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving. It is targeted at those in danger of dropping out of the education system or those who may have already dropped out. It is a broadly based programme which is cross-community and...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The funding is not just agreed on a once-off basis but rather on a multi-annual basis. I accept that projects cannot be stop-start. A local retention plan contains strategies for the whole-school, targeted strategies for individual students and those who are already outside the formal system, as referred to by the Deputy. As we head into the holidays, this programme offers supports during...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: That is part of the overall school completion programme. The funding allocation for next year is currently being considered and the local management committee will be notified directly on the matter. The good work being done should be borne in mind along with available resources for the rest of the programmes around the country.

School Accommodation. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputies O'Connor and Crowe for raising this matter on the application by St. Mark's Junior School for additional accommodation and the position in general on primary provision in the Tallaght area. I am sure the Deputies will appreciate that in providing educational infrastructure, the Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works has been requested to source a site for the school in question. That Section is currently exploring site options. As soon as a site has been acquired the building project for the school can be further considered.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (5 Jul 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...