Results 8,481-8,500 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Order of Business (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I take it the Deputy intends to abolish compulsory Irish.

Order of Business (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Aon uair.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding for additional accommodation has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The school have applied for consideration under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 and this application is being assessed by my officials. Details of the successful applications will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware there has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in relation to increasing the number of teachers in our schools who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. At primary level there are now more than 5,000 teachers working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service, established in 1999, allows for all primary and post primary schools to have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under my Department's Higher Education Grant Scheme and VEC Scholarship Scheme, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved undergraduate courses in Northern Ireland and also in E.U. Member States. In general, approved courses are those pursued in a third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds. Students attending...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department facilitates apprenticeship training through the provision of places in Institutes of Technology. Where additional capacity is sought by FÁS the Institutes of Technology are invited to make proposals for individual trades. My Department has received a joint proposal from GMIT and the college referred to by the Deputy to run two blocks of Phase 4 each or Phase 6 each per term in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As you are aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the 75 local special educational needs organisers, known as SENOs, is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports. These supports include resource teaching hours and SNA support for pupils with low-incidence special needs and assistive technology or equipment for pupils in either...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital works from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for the Summer Works Scheme 2007 from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. All applications for the Summer Works Scheme are currently being assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for the scheme. I intend to publish a list of successful applicants before Christmas.

Written Answers — Educational Investment: Educational Investment (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The data requested by the Deputy are contained in the following table. They show, over a ten year period, the ratio of spending per student at second level (DES gross voted current expenditure) to Gross National Income per capita. It should be noted that the increases in spending as a proportion of GNI per capita in recent years have of course been set against a backdrop of a significant...

Written Answers — Educational Investment: Educational Investment (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The data requested by the Deputy are contained in the following table, which shows that significant improvements have been made in recent years. It should be noted that the increases in spending as a proportion of GNI in recent years have of course been set against a backdrop of a significant increases in Ireland's Gross National Income, and therefore the extra provision for education has...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Details of increases in the standard per capita and support services grant for secondary schools, as requested by the Deputy, are set out in the table. Per Capita Grants to secondary schools (i) Standard Per Capita Grant rates Date Rate â'¬ 1 September 2000 243.80 1 September 2001 256.50 1 September 2002 266 1 January 2004 274 1 January 2005 286 1 January 2006 298 The School...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department has received an application for an extension project from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a band 2 rating. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am not aware of delays in the payment of grants for the reasons referred to by the Deputy. The organisation and management of student support scheme grants is a matter for individual Vocational Educational Committees. Each Vocational Educational Committee receives a block staffing complement from my Department which affords VECs considerable flexibility to meet the various needs of the...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service, established in 1999, allows for all primary and post primary schools to have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied for capital funding under each of the following headings: The Summer Works Scheme 2007 (SWS). The Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007 (PAS). Major capital works. All applications under the SWS are currently being assessed. I intend to publish a list of successful applicants before Christmas. Applications under the PAS 2007...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: On the 1 February 2006 the Minister for Health and Children and I published the report of the Fottrell Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training. Among the recommendations of the Fottrell Group was that a graduate stream of entry to medicine be introduced and that all graduates of honours Bachelor degree programmes should be eligible to apply. It is anticipated that the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed refurbishment and extension project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. All projects in the Schools Building and Modernisation Programme are assessed on the basis of need against published prioritisation criteria. As the Deputy will be aware, while some capital funding has traditionally been given to minority ethos fee-paying...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 502 together. An application has been received, from the school referred to by the Deputy, under the Small Schools Scheme 2007. The closing date for receipt of applications under this devolved scheme was 27 October 2006. The application will be assessed by my officials and the list of successful applicants for the scheme will be published as soon as...