Results 7,661-7,680 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Home/School/Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is a major mainstream preventative strategy targeted at pupils at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system because of background characteristics which tend to affect adversely pupil attainment and school retention. The scheme is concerned with establishing partnership and collaboration between parents and teachers in the...
- Written Answers — : (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Early Start pre-school project operates in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk. There are 56 teachers and 56 childcare workers employed and a total of 1680 places in Early Start centres. The total expenditure in 2005 on the project was â¬4.96m. Targeted early childhood education provision is a key...
- Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The primary source of information on retention available within my Department is the Post-Primary Pupil Database. Cohort analysis of the pupil records on this database allows for monitoring of retention through the publicly-aided second-level school system. To date, two retention reports have been published covering four cohorts of students â those who entered second-level education between...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in its advice submitted to me in April 2005, recommends that the practice of standardised testing which is currently well established in primary schools should be built upon and that all pupils should be tested in literacy and numeracy at the end of first or beginning of second class and at the end of fourth or beginning of fifth class. I...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is now operational. A specific function of the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is to identify appropriate educational placements for all children with special educational needs. The SENO is a focal point of contact for parents and schools. My officials have liaised with...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Details of the career break scheme are set out in my Department circular letters 22/99 for Post-Primary teachers and 10/03 for primary teachers. Contract of indefinite duration teachers shall have access to the career break scheme on the same basis as permanent teachers within their sector. As is the case with permanent teachers, applicants for the scheme will have their applications assessed...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 670 together. My Department is not in receipt of any correspondence from the association to which the Deputy refers. However, my Department has made a submission to the local authority on estimated school requirements arising from its local area plan for the proposed new town centre in Tallaght.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Ensuring that all children get the support that they need to do well at school is a major priority for this Government. In order to ensure that children whose first language is not English can succeed at school, my Department gives additional support to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional temporary teacher posts or portions of teacher posts. The level of...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 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 been requested to source a site for the Gaelscoil in question. That Section is at present assessing a site option in the Coonagh area. The school has an enrolment of 229 pupils. My Department is aware of the need to provide a new school building...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy is due to commence a postgraduate course of study in the U.K. in September, 2006. The Third Level Student Support Schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees, on behalf of my Department do not extend to postgraduate study outside of the island of Ireland. Any extension of the current arrangements to...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 682 together. The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. The relevant circular (0023/2006) issued to all...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension/ refurbishment has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The building project required to address the schools accommodation needs is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Public Private Partnerships differ from traditional procurement in that substantial risk is transferred to the private sector in the areas of design, construction, operation and maintenance of the projects generally over a twenty-five year contract period. In order to achieve value for money under PPP it is necessary to bundle a number of schools into a single project that is offered to the...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Jul 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 — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the total number of applications approved under the 2006 Summer Works Scheme for schools in County Clare is 17. This comprises thirteen primary schools and four post primary schools.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I can assure the Deputy that the matter of finance is not the reason why the relevant sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 relating to Individual Education Plans (IEPs) have not yet commenced. While many sections of the Act have already commenced, the remaining sections cannot come into effect without the National Council for Special Education...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Because of the way in which data are collected from schools it is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy in relation to nine-year olds. The most recent information on class sizes in primary schools for County Kildare is for the 2005/2006 school year and is as follows: Classes of up to 9 â 0 pupils; Classes of 10 to 19 â 990 pupils; Classes of 20 to 24 â 3761...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a tender of â¬3.8 million was accepted in May 2006 for the building project for the school in question. The project is on site and should be completed in 12 to 15 months.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Design Team has recently been appointed to the proposed building project at the school in question. The architectural planning phase of the new building will commence with immediate effect. Progression of projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.