Results 8,021-8,040 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the home tuition scheme is to provide funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. The terms of the home tuition scheme do not extend to the payment of private...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The latest report by the Decentralisation Implementation Group (DIG) published last week gives an indicative date of Quarter 1 2009 for the provision of permanent accommodation in Mullingar. The decentralisation of the 300 posts in my Department from Dublin to Mullingar as set out in the Government's Programme of Decentralisation with take place when this accommodation is ready for...

Written Answers — School Fees: School Fees (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is a fundamental principle of the Free Second Level Education Scheme that no charge be made in respect of: (a) instruction in any subject of my Department's Programme for Secondary Schools; (b) recreation or study facilities where all pupils are expected to avail of them as part of the school programme; or (c) any other activity in which all pupils are required to take part. Accordingly,...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that it is the policy of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to respond directly to representations from Deputies, having regard to the confidentiality of the details of particular cases. If the Deputy wishes to make representations in a particular case, he should contact the Correspondence Unit of the NCSE, 1-2 Mill Street, Trim, Co. Meath.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute (TRBDI) has proposed moving from its current location to the Ballingarrane Estate. While my consent is required by TRBDI for the re-location proposal (and I have indicated that this consent will only be given on the condition, inter alia, that the TRBDI assists in the matter of the provision of a site for the Gaelscoil) the TRBDI site is in...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The schools to which the Deputy refers have agreed to amalgamate. The local inspector has been requested to provide long term projections for both schools to establish the extent of accommodation which will be needed to facilitate the amalgamation. When this information has been received and assessed, progress on the proposed building project can be considered in the context of the School...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The number of Special Need Assistants employed in Primary schools in County Wexford is 226 and the number employed in Post Primary schools is 12. There are approximately three thousand seven hundred primary and Secondary, Community/Comprehensive schools. The compilation of information regarding the number of SNAs employed in individual schools would require an inordinate amount of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's Third Level Maintenance Grant Schemes, which are administered on behalf 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, age, means,...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 543 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream 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. The staffing schedule for the 2005/06 school year was outlined in Primary Circular 15/05 which was issued to all primary schools. All primary schools were staffed on a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts at second level is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures. Teacher allocations for second level schools are approved by my Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules based on recognised pupil enrolments on the 30th of September of the preceding school year. The...

Written Answers — Voluntary Sector Funding: Voluntary Sector Funding (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no plans to provide dedicated funding to the Down Syndrome Ireland organisation. My Department does however provide funding for a range of initiatives within the school system to support pupils 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 — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (10 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Summer Works Scheme 2007. My Department is currently assessing all applications received from schools. I intend to announce details of the approved schemes by the end of the year.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has provided funding of in excess of €34 million for the construction of nine dual use halls with enhanced facilities, attached to post-primary schools. Eight of the halls, including the hall referred to by the Deputy, are in Dublin and one is in Cork. The halls in question have been built as part of a joint programme to develop community sports facilities in drugs task...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its timetable and subject options with regard to pupils' needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The rules for allocating teaching resources provide that where...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, through the local special educational needs organiser, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post-primary schools. In the case referred to by the Deputy, an application for resource teaching hours was made to the relevant special educational needs...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department works with the Planning Department of Fingal County Council for the purpose of reserving sites for primary and post primary school provision. It is the Department's aim to deliver infrastructure commensurate with the delivery of housing developments. As a general rule, the Department will always seek to maximise existing facilities ahead of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) came into operation on 1st January 2005. One of the specific functions 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....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, my Department's preferred approach to the provision of appropriate education for children with autism, is through the primary and post primary school network, whether through placement in mainstream classes, in special classes or in special schools, a view that is supported by the findings of the Task Force Report on Autism. My Department supports a multi-skills...