Results 9,581-9,600 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. The candidate referred to by the Deputy incorrectly submitted a student grant application to Galway County Council. However, I understand that the application in question is currently being examined by County Galway VEC, the appropriate awarding authority in this instance. The awarding...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Programme: Schools Building Programme (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has received applications for additional accommodation from the two schools to which the Deputy refers. In examining these applications the Department takes into account all relevant factors such as enrolment trends, demographic trends, the pupil/teacher ratio, housing developments in the area and site capacity. The Department will be in contact with the school authorities in...
- Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Students who wish to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching) or the Higher Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching) in the Colleges of Education must have attained a required standard at Higher Level Leaving Certificate Irish or its equivalent. The procedure for establishing equivalence is to submit details of the course content, duration, standards and assessment...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Feb 2007)
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. In the current school year (2006/07)...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that 20 hours per week home tuition has been sanctioned for the child in question for the 2006/2007 school year. As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is now operational. A specific function of the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is to identify appropriate educational placement...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. This application was assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale building works and was assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed building project will be considered in the context of the School Building...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The management authority of the school in question applied for funding for carparking and replacement of windows and doors under the Summer Works Scheme 2007. Carparking was listed as the Priority 1 project. Under the prioritisation system these works were classed Category 10 (External Environment). Unfortunately the category applying to this type of project was not reached. The school...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Major improvements have been made in staffing at 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 one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc. Children with special needs and...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (8 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The capitation grant for primary schools is paid in two moieties. The first instalment of the capitation grant (70%) is paid in January each year with the remaining balance of the grant paid in June. The first instalment in January is based on a school's enrolment figure on the 30th September of the previous school year. The balance of the grant, which is paid in June, is calculated on the...
- Language Support Services. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: My Department estimates that there are in the region of 28,000 students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish. In order to meet their language needs, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is...
- Language Support Services. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: We accept children have different levels of language. That is why a language assessment kit will be sent to every school. It is being devised for us by Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited to ensure teachers will be able to assess the language capability of the child. I indicated at the conference of the Irish Primary Principals Network that the two-year rule and the two teacher...
- Language Support Services. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The teachers will be allocated this year under a new allocation process recognising the number of students in those schools. An assessment kit â one can call it what one likes â is a method of assessment and a way in which teachers will be able to ascertain the language competency of a child. That is being devised in conjunction with Integrate Ireland Language and Training Limited....
- Psychological Service. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, this Government has given a very high priority to providing better supports for children with special needs. This year, we will provide over â¬820 million for special education â an increase of 30%, or â¬180 million, on last year's allocation. Among other improvements, this increased investment covers the cost of 31 extra NEPS psychologists, including our...
- Psychological Service. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy's first question was on when the target would be met. The target set by the planning group was for 184 NEPS psychologists. This year we intend to reach 174 and, in two years' time, we will exceed that figure to reach 209, including the psychologists in the VECs.
- Psychological Service. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It certainly will. With the extra 31 coming on board this year, we will be able to extend the direct coverage. There have been many tragic incidents in schools recently so it is important we do not ignore the service NEPS provides to all schools on such occasions. It plays a very valuable role and school principals very much appreciate it. The Deputy also asked about the individual...
- Psychological Service. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: There may have been cases where that is the case but I can cite examples of schools which have had additional assessments. Given that the target was set at 184 psychologists, the fact that we will provide 209 will certainly cover the existing need. Those numbers were indicated before the allocation of resource teachers to schools, meaning every school has those teachers as well as a NEPS...
- Disadvantaged Status. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Ensuring children from the most disadvantaged communities in Mayo and elsewhere get the support they need to succeed at school is a key priority for the Government. To this end, we have increased investment in tackling educational disadvantage significantly in recent years. In 2007, we are providing almost â¬730 million for targeted initiatives at all levels, an increase of almost â¬95...
- Disadvantaged Status. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The criteria were devised by the Educational Research Centre and can stand up in any circumstances when examining factors in disadvantage, such as large families, unemployment, local authority accommodation, lone parenthood, Travellers, pupils eligible for free books and so on. These characteristics would define levels of disadvantage. Equally, at second level, hard statistical information...
- Disadvantaged Status. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy was not listening to me. The schools will retain their posts for the duration of the DEIS plan and continue to be part of the home-school-community liaison depending on the level of disadvantage and the size of the school. The capitation will ensure there is no reduction in funding.
- Disadvantaged Status. (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It will continue for the duration of the disadvantage plan. The Deputy is also confused about the figures and dates for the junior certificate. Those were for first years who entered schools in those years, but who sat their junior certificate three years later. We were not using figures from 1995, 1996 or 1997, we were looking at the first years in those years and their junior certificate...