Results 7,921-7,940 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. The long-term projected enrolment for the school is currently being reviewed. When this process has been completed, the project can be considered for progress under the School Building and Modernisation Programme from 2007 onwards.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for a second level Irish school to be located on the site referred to by the Deputy has been received by the Department. It is currently being considered and contact will be made with the promoters as soon as a decision has been reached in the matter.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 304 together. I assume the Deputies are referring to Ireland's expenditure on education as a proportion of GDP. Deputies will be aware, given the distinctive structure of the Irish economy and specifically, the comparatively high proportion of our GDP that is expatriated as profits of foreign direct investment enterprises, Gross Domestic Product (GDP)...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Sep 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding towards the provision of additional mainstream classrooms and ancillary accommodation at the school referred to by the Deputy. The school authority has recently been advised that its proposed project may be more suitable for delivery by way of devolved funding under the Small Schools Scheme, 2007 which is specifically...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants and the issue of grant awards is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to...

Written Answers — Pre-School Services: Pre-School Services (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the School Planning Section of my Department will be liaising with the school to which the Deputy refers with a view to providing it with accommodation in line with demand from eligible pupils under its enrolment policy.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. This School was among 40 Schools that I announced in April of this year to go to tender and construction on a rolling basis over the next 12 to 15 months. My Department's Officials wrote to the School Authorities on the 22nd September 2006 looking for a revised stage 1/2/3 (detailed...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has been in contact with officials in County Kilkenny Vocational Education Committee concerning the student referred to by the Deputy. I understand that further documentation must be submitted before a decision can be made by Kilkenny VEC in this case. Queries in regard to the Back to Education Scheme should be referred to the Department of Social and Family Affairs as this...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: School Planning Section is awaiting a report following a technical inspection of the schools to which the Deputy refers. When this has been received and examined, it will be in contact with the schools as to how the proposed project can proceed.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will probably be aware, the application for large scale capital funding from the school to which he refers was originally considered under the Department's devolved grant scheme. It transpired, however that the scope of the works required to meet the schools long term accommodation needs exceeded the limits of this scheme. In the circumstances, its application has been reverted...

Written Answers — Schools Enrolment: Schools Enrolment (28 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the school's need for additional accommodation and can advise the Deputy that my Department is grant-aiding the rental costs of two portakabins at the school in order to alleviate short term accommodation difficulties. My Department is also in receipt of an application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to the school. An assessment of projected...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the universities are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs. The universities receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is allocated internally.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application to establish the school in question. This is currently being assessed and School Planning Section will be meeting with the proposers shortly to discuss the matter.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Third Level Student Support Schemes operated on behalf of my Department provide a means tested grant to students who are pursuing their first undergraduate or postgraduate course and who comply with the terms and conditions of the Scheme. There is provision in the 2006/07 Schemes for an allowance where 2 or more children (or the candidate's parent) are pursuing a course of study listed...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together. All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together. I announced the first PPP project bundle consisting of St. Mary's CBS and Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise, St. Rynagh's Community College, Banagher and Gallen Community School, Ferbane on the 22nd November 2005. Pre-procurement work on this project bundle was recently completed in my Department and the bundle was offered to the market on...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Report of a working group to examine potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July, 1998, acknowledged that many of the solutions belong at local school level. One of the main recommendations of the report related to the need to heighten the awareness of the potential health hazards posed by excessively heavy schoolbags. In this regard, my Department...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department has recently received a Stage 2 submission from the School's Design Team (Outline Sketch Scheme). My Department will shortly arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and the Design Team in order to evaluate the submission. It is envisaged that unless there are...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Third Level Student Support Schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration (pursued in a university or a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds) in other EU Member States with effect from the 1996/97 academic year. The extension...