Results 8,521-8,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department compiles statistics on the number of officers employed who have a disability using two sources. These are officers whose initial recruitment was through a special competition confined to persons with a disability, and officers who request special accommodation/ equipment or consideration in connection with a disability. With regard to this second category my Department does...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 to 496, inclusive, together. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is a statutory body set up under the Education Act 1998 to advise the Minister for Education and Science on curriculum and assessment matters. While a document on Irish has been prepared for internal consultation within the Council, it has not yet been approved by the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is a statutory body set up under the Education Act 1998 to advise the Minister for Education and Science on curriculum and assessment matters. As part of its remit, the NCCA may establish committees to assist it in the performance of its functions. The composition of subcommittees of the NCCA is a matter for the Council as provided...

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

Mary Hanafin: A revised literature course for Leaving Certificate Irish was introduced in September 2004 and was examined for the first time in June of this year. It has been widely welcomed as it allows literature to be taught using modern communicative approaches that appeal to young people and it affords a high level of choice to students and teachers.

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

Mary Hanafin: The matter referred to by the Deputy is currently under review by officials in my Department and they expect shortly to be in contact with the awarding body in this case.

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

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Department's maintenance grants schemes, and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act 1992, a mature student is defined as a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on the 1st January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course. Under the terms of my Department's 2005 Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes the position...

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

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for students with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has taken over...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants 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 date, been sought in the case of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Parish of Kanturk, on behalf of the school's Patron, is currently engaged in identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the purpose of constructing a new primary school in the town. An assessment of the long term projected staffing, on which the schools accommodation needs are based is currently underway in School Planning Section of my Department. This assessment will take into...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Indemnity Agreement concluded between the State and religious congregations in June 2002 provides for a fund of €12.7 million to be used by the State for educational programmes for former residents of institutions and their families. Pending the establishment of this fund on a statutory basis, my Department introduced an ad-hoc grants scheme for former residents and their families,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department sanctioned the establishment of the autism unit at St Senan's Primary School in 2005. In February 2006, approval was given to St. Senan's National School to commence architectural planning to provide additional accommodation to cater for children with specific special needs. In the interim, the school has been given approval for temporary prefabricated accommodation to cater...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A technical site visit of the proposed school premises for the Gaelscoil to which the Deputy refers was recently carried out by the Department and a technical report is currently being compiled. As soon as the technical report has been examined, the Department will be in contact with the Boards of Management of all the schools concerned regarding the next steps towards advancement of the project.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 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 will be considered in the context of the School...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning and is one of the forty schools that I announced in April of this year to go to tender and construction. A full Design Team has been appointed to bring the proposed building project through the various stages of architectural planning. In April of this year a letter issued to the VEC...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The process of appointing a design team to the proposed building project at the school referred to by the Deputy has commenced. On behalf of the Client (the School Board of Management) my School Building Section published the advertisement seeking the relevant consultancy services on the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie, on 15 August last. The closing date for receipt of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The stage 3 submission for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department. The Board of Management as client should liaise with their Design Team to get an estimated date for the completion and delivery of the stage 3 to my Department. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The outline sketch scheme for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department. In September of this year a letter issued to the School Authorities and the Consultant Architects on the project giving approval to carry out the combined stage 1/2 (Outline sketch scheme with costings ) submission. When this information is received in my Department, my Department will...