Results 9,521-9,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The two primary schools referred to by the Deputy have indicated to the Department that they propose to amalgamate to provide for a single co-education national school to serve the area. Before progressing the project further and in order to ensure that any capital funding allocated to assist in the amalgamation being provided represents optimal use of resources and is appropriate to meet the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The local area development plan for North Kerry is the framework document for the Department's long-term educational strategy at both primary and post-primary level for the area concerned. The recommendations in the plan are being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is addressing the issue to which the Deputy refers through the relative Patron bodies which is the correct protocol. The Department is hopeful of a resolution of the matter in the near future.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The accommodation needs of the school in question are under consideration by the School Planning Section of the Department. In order to ensure that the appropriate level of accommodation is provided, officials in the Department recently visited the school and carried out a technical inspection of the existing facilities. Department Officials are now reassessing the long-term projected...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: County Limerick VEC made an application to my Department for funding towards the provision of a new school building for Croom. Given the restricted nature of the existing site, approval was given by my Department to County Limerick VEC to purchase a site to facilitate the development of a new school building. The VEC have identified a suitable site for the building project. The School...

Written Answers — Maintenance Grant Scheme: Maintenance Grant Scheme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Maintenance Grant Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate courses is administered by the Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department. Clause 6.3.6 of my Department's Maintenance Grant Scheme for students attending Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses provides as follows; "Grants may not be paid in respect of a second period of attendance at the same level...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department accepts that Mullingar is a developing town and is taking a number of steps to ensure that its future needs are met in a timely fashion. In this regard, progress on a number of large scale building projects is being considered for progression under the School Building and Modernisation Programme. This involves a combination of extensions, refurbishments, and the provision of...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 538 and 539 together. My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978/79 scheme for the employment of full-time secretaries in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The appointment of a primary teacher is a matter for the school Board of Management. My Department's function is to ensure that the appointment is warranted by reference to the staffing schedule and to ensure that the person being appointed is qualified for the post. Boards of Management are obliged to recruit and employ fully qualified primary teachers for any vacancy in the school,...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In the course of my official business during 2006 I undertook a total of 19 trips using commercial airlines. This involved 7 trips abroad and 12 trips within Ireland totalling 64,982 kilometres. A table of individual journeys showing destination and total kilometres is attached. List of Ministerial Trips undertaken in Ireland and Abroad in 2006 Destination Date From Date To Purpose of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department allocates additional teaching hours to Vocational Education Committees to support the delivery of education programmes in a range of facilities including special schools under the heading Co-Operation Hours with Other Institutions. These allocations are made in response to specific applications which are submitted by the relevant VEC's in advance of the commencement of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A suitable site has been acquired by the Office of Public Works on behalf of my Department for this project. The long term projected staffing, on which the accommodation needs will be based, has been determined and notified to the school authority. The building project required to deliver the new school will be progressed in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has acknowledged the need for a site for a permanent building for the school to which the Deputy refers. The site on which the school is currently located is not available, however, a 0.93 acre site adjacent to the school was offered by the owner. This is even smaller than the current school site and is not adequate to provide a modern purpose built 16 classroom school with...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age. 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, including decisions on criteria for enrolment and cut off dates for entry. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed PE Hall project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. This project was one that I announced in May 2006 to progress to tender and construction. The Design Team have been requested to submit a combined Stage 2/3 submission. When this documentation is received in my Department my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: One of the conditions of my Department's Free Fees Initiative is that students who have previously pursued but not completed a course which has not attracted any exchequer funding may be deemed eligible for free fees subject to compliance with the other conditions of the Free Fees Initiative. In addition my Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Psychological Service operating within my Department provides a range of services both direct and indirect which support the personal, social and educational development of all children in primary and post-primary schools. As outlined in my reply to the deputy's recent question No. 1718 in this regard NEPS provides access to psychological assessment either directly...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 was enacted in July 2004. The Special Education Appeals Board (SEAB) was established under section 36 of the Act to hear and determine appeals pursuant to a number of sections of the Act. The SEAB will become operational as soon as the relevant sections of the Act have come into effect....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed refurbishment and extension project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department recently completed a review of the long term projected enrolment in the school and consequently the brief for the building project has been revised from 16 classrooms to 24 classrooms. The Design Team have been requested to submit a Stage 1/2...

Written Answers — ICT Programme: ICT Programme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 and 554 together. While the specific information sought by the Deputy is not readily available, the two recent investment priorities under the ICT in Schools Programme have been the provision of networking grants to schools and the Schools Broadband Access Programme. Schools were invited to submit proposals for the development of their networking...