Results 8,861-8,880 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Whole School Evaluations: Whole School Evaluations (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Planning for whole-school evaluations (WSE) in 2007 in primary schools, post-primary schools and centres for education is underway at present, and will be finalised within a few weeks. It is expected that over 300 WSEs will be conducted during 2007. This will include approximately 230 WSEs at primary level, 60 WSEs in post-primary schools and 15 WSEs in other centres for education.

Written Answers — Legal Actions: Legal Actions (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are approximately 270 cases before the Courts which involve the Department as a Defendant or Respondent. They include litigation relating to Primary Schools, Community and Comprehensive Schools, Children Detention Schools, Special Needs, school non-attendance, school transport, litigation arising from industrial relations actions, contractual disputes and a diverse range of matters....

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age and Rule 64 (1) of the Rules for National Schools provides that a child must be at least 4 years of age before she/he may be enrolled in a National School. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 441 together. To qualify for the top-up grant in the academic year 2006/2007 all candidates must satisfy the following conditions: 1. Qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant in respect of the academic year 2006/07; 2. Total reckonable income limit in the tax year to 31 December 2005 must not exceed €16,748 (net of standard exclusions, as set out...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that, in accordance with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application, improved client accessibility and ensure the timely delivery of...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the deputy will be aware all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the 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 psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department fully considered all aspects of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report and has taken on board the key lessons learned from the pilot PPP Programme. In this regard, a full life-cycle analysis of the costs of providing the project outputs through conventional means was conducted. The result of this analysis was a Public Sector Benchmark for the project. The Public Sector...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to class sizes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The reference date for the provision by schools of this information is the 30th September of the school year in question and the date for return by the schools is 31 October. Consequently, the details for the current school year (2006/2007) are not yet available. As the Deputy will be aware, there...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 and 420 together. The school referred to by the Deputy has an application with the Department for major capital grant aid for a PE Hall. This project has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 4 rating. Progress on the proposed project is being considered in the context of...

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

Mary Hanafin: A technical site visit of the proposed school premises for the school to which the Deputy refers was recently carried out by the Department. A preliminary report has been compiled by the Department's technical staff which deals with the suitability of the proposed school premises and also outlines the strategy for developing the final brief for accommodating the schools which are to be...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill vacancies in an individual primary school is a matter for the Board of Management of the school concerned. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in individual cases. The person in question is a qualified second level teacher. Qualifications recognised for the purposes of teaching at second level are not accepted for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. The Commission has put in place a number of measures designed to enhance transparency and to put candidates in the best possible position with regard to deciding whether or...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As recently advised to the Deputy, the Department has examined current capacity in existing primary and post-primary schools in the context of the proposed Tallaght Town Centre development. Arising from this, a submission has been made to the local authority on estimated school site and school requirements for inclusion in the local area plan. The Department has requested that two sites be...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that home tuition has recently been granted to the child in question and this decision has been conveyed to the applicant.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Nov 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. This staffing schedule for the 2006/07 school year is outlined in Primary Circular 0023/2006 which was issued to all primary schools. Based on an enrolment of 278 pupils on...

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

Mary Hanafin: An upward trend in enrolment in recent years at the school referred to by the Deputy has necessitated a review by my Department of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends in the area in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. Upon completion of this assessment a decision will be...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As previously stated in my response to the Deputy, enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however,...

Written Answers — School Fees: School Fees (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Fee charging schools are a traditional feature of the post-primary educational system, particularly in Dublin. As the schools concerned are institutions that are privately owned and managed, the level and extent of school fees is a matter for the schools concerned. A significant element of the fee-charging school sector has traditionally been made up of Protestant schools and those with a...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The forum for dealing with claims for improvements to conditions of service for teachers is the Teachers Conciliation Council. A formal claim on the matter referred to by the Deputy has been submitted to the Council. Pending the outcome of consideration of that claim, I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter.

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that on 10 April, 2006 my Department gave devolved authority for the project in question to proceed to planning permission and preparation of tender documentation. My Department is currently awaiting confirmation from the school that they have completed this process.