Results 8,601-8,620 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Section 20 of the Education Act 1998 places an obligation on the board of management of each school to establish procedures for informing parents of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Section 22(2)(b) of the Act provides that the principal and teachers of a school must regularly evaluate students and periodically report the results of the evaluation to the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: School building projects are selected for inclusion in the School Building and Modernisation Programme on the basis of priority of need. All applications for capital funding are assessed in accordance with the Department's published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects which were drawn up following consultation with the education partners. Following this assessment, each...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Following an allocation of funding to the school referred to by the Deputy, under the Small Schools Scheme 2006 to undertake an extension/refurbishment of the existing school building, the school authorities subsequently requested my Department to consider the provision of a new school building on the existing school site. An assessment of the long term projected enrolment, on which the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has examined the long term accommodation needs of the Newcastle area of County Dublin and has determined that additional provision will be required to meet demand emanating from current and planned housing developments in the area. The matter of how best this additional accommodation should be provided having regard to existing accommodation and the alternative options available...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the general allocation scheme has been in operation since September 2005 under which mainstream primary schools have been provided with resource teaching support, based on enrolment figures, to cater for children with high-incidence special educational needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The school referred to by the Deputy qualified for 1...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, was requested to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for the school in question. Following an advertisement seeking proposals in relation to possible sites a number of responses were received. Six sites have been visited and their technical...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In March 2005, my Department gave the Institute to which the Deputy refers approval to proceed with seeking expressions of interest from private sector property developers in this matter. This was advertised in June 2005. The expressions of interest received were evaluated in June 2006 by an evaluation committee and short-listed. The short-listed companies have been asked to provide more...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are five post primary schools serving Mullingar. Three of the schools have applications for major capital funding with the Department for extension/refurbishment works. One of the projects is in architectural planning and the other two are under active consideration. Officials in School Planning Section have met with Westmeath County Council to discuss educational infrastructure in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The N4/M4 Area Development Plan indicates that a post primary school will not be required for Kinnegad until post 2011. The Department will ask the local authority to reserve a site at the appropriate time for this development.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been operational since 1 January 2005, and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). My officials have been in contact with the NCSE regarding the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The NCSE has advised that...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications is the only Directive awaiting transposition into Irish law in my Department. The date for transposition of this Directive is 20 October 2007 and preparatory work for the drafting of the regulations to meet this transposition date is ongoing within my Department.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs, including children with Down Syndrome. The professionally-assessed needs of the individual child determines the appropriate model of response in each case. Children with Down Syndrome are entitled to additional provision in school, either under the terms of...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Nov 2006)

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

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I regret the delay in responding to the correspondence in question. I can confirm that the matter referred to by the Deputy is receiving attention within my Department and a response will issue shortly to the person concerned.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As previously pointed out it is understood from Kildare VEC that the candidate referred by the Deputy was not eligible for the maintenance grant as the reckonable income in this case exceeded the prescribed income limit for the 2005 tax year as set out in the grant scheme. If the candidate referred to by the Deputy has any further information to add to the initial grant application it should...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All children allocated places in units for children on the Autism Spectrum have been most likely assessed by services provided by HSE prior to entry to these units. I understand that some of the children attending the school identified by the Deputy but residing in his constituency are located in the area covered by HSE South. Health services including ongoing psychological interventions have...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Nov 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 school referred to by the Deputy. The OPW is currently in negotiations for a suitable site for the school in question.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's support package for the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. The Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. The package includes...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. My Department does not collate information from the awarding authorities on the reasons why an applicant was refused a higher education grant. Failure to qualify for assistance could be for many reasons, included are those related to reckonable income, residency, nationality, previous periods of study, previous academic attainment,...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. The Higher Education Grant Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are...