Results 8,961-8,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 525 together. I am aware that Clane, like many areas are experiencing population growth, a position that almost inevitably places some strain on existing educational provision. However, measures have been undertaken by my Department to address the current and future need for pupil places in this area. At primary level, it has been determined that Scoil...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 526 and 527 together. I am aware that Sallins, Naas, and Kill , like many areas located within close proximity to Dublin, continue to experience population growth, a position that almost inevitably places some strain on existing educational provision. However, a range of significant measures has been undertaken by the Department to address the current and...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department has received an application for major capital funding from the management authorities of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 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) the School Building Section of the Department 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...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 to 535, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. As the Deputy will be aware, there are now no less than 4,000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Furthermore, there are nearly 7,000 more primary...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has not received any application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The school authorities should contact the School Planning Section of the Department if it has concerns in this regard.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 537, 543, 545 and 546 together. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at both primary and post-primary level in recent years. At the beginning of the current school year there are no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now...

Written Answers — Drugs in Schools: Drugs in Schools (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department contributes fully to the overall aim of the Government's policy in relation to drugs, which is to provide an effective, integrated response to the problems posed by drug misuse. As part of this process, my Department is represented at senior level on the National Drugs Strategy Team and on the Interdepartmental Group which in turn reports to the Cabinet Committee on Social...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I share the Deputy's concern that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying — be it physical, verbal or cyber and I assure him that supports are in place to enable schools both to prevent bullying and to deal with cases that may arise. For a start, each school is required to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapy services rests with the Health Service Executive. However, I can confirm that my Department has sanctioned 59 special classes for children with specific speech and language disorder. Each class can cater for up to 7 children and the children have access to a speech and language therapist. In May...

Written Answers — Science Strategy: Science Strategy (28 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In June 2006 the Government launched the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation. This Strategy is a multi-annual, multi-billion euro investment in research and development activity for the period to 2013. The Strategy will see Ireland secure its position as one of the world's advanced knowledge economies and become renowned worldwide for the excellence of its research. It will put...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: School Planning Section of my 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. Applications for the Summer Works Scheme are currently being assessed and the list of successful applicants will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that my Department implemented a general allocation system of learning support/resource teachers to schools with effect from September 2005. The system is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. It is a matter for each school to determine the pupils with learning support and high-incidence special education...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together. The number of part time Special Need Assistants currently employed in Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive schools and paid on my Department's centralised payroll system is 1,850. The number of full time Special Need Assistants currently employed in Primary, Voluntary Secondary and Community and Comprehensive...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has recently introduced new arrangements for the payment of casual and non casual teachers employed in Secondary and Community/ comprehensive schools. It is proposed to introduce similar arrangements for the payment of casual and non casual teachers in primary schools during 2007. The establishment of a mechanism to advise teachers regarding the matter referred to by the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: School Planning Section of my Department is in receipt of an application for the Small Schools Scheme 2007 from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application will be assessed by my officials and publication of the list of successful applicants for the scheme will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The scope of the works referred to by the Deputy is appropriate for consideration under the Summer Works Scheme. While an application was received from the school in question under the Summer Works Scheme for 2007, it did not refer to an upgrade in the facilities of the school's sports ground. All applications under the Summer Works Scheme 2007 are currently being assessed in accordance with...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of two applications for capital funding from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers, one under the Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007 and one under the Small Schools Scheme 2007. The closing date for receipt of applications for both of these devolved funding schemes was the 27th October 2006. The Department is now in...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In February 2006 the Governing Body of Waterford Institute of Technology wrote to my Department seeking a review of its status under Section 9 of the Universities Act 1997. Since this submission was made, the Government has passed significant new legislation in the form of the Institutes of Technology Act 2006. This will now bring our institutes of technology and universities together under a...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that a specific function of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is to identify appropriate educational placements for all children with special educational needs. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that no application for placement in the school referred to in the details...