Results 981-1,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised that an application for resources for the pupil in question, who appears to have special educational needs, was made to the National Council for Special Education recently. If it transpires that the school in question is not suitable for this pupil's needs then the parents or guardians may apply to the special education section of my Department for a home tuition grant while a...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The special needs assistant, SNA, provision in the school in question was reviewed by my Department's inspectorate in September 2004. Following discussion with the pupil's teachers and observation in the school, it was concluded that the pupil is now able to complete all personal care functions age appropriately and no longer requires the level of SNA support originally sanctioned. My...

State Bodies. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. While the Minister may give general policy directives to the agency, he is precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual...

Road Network. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen. The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority and the local authority concerned which, in the case of the Dublin Port tunnel, is Dublin City Council. The Minister for Transport announced on 21 October 2004 that the operational...

School Closures. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this issue. He is quite correct that the closure of a school has an effect not just on the staff and students in the school but on the community, particularly a school as distinguished as Greendale community school which, as the Deputy pointed out, has served the area very well from the time it was built to a peak of more than 900 pupils. The Deputy...

School Closures. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: She also happens to be the Minister for Education and Science. The school made an application to the Department of Education and Science for major capital investment in 1999 and the study commissioned by the Department estimated that an investment of €2.5 million would be needed for the remedial works. The general decline in enrolments in the area has resulted in spare capacity in the area...

Nuclear Safety. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Sargent for allowing me to take this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, British Nuclear Fuels plc and Urenco (Capenhurst) Limited today published details of the nuclear materials balance arising from the use of plutonium and-or uranium in their civil nuclear programmes...

Nuclear Safety. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The UK has emphasised that nuclear materials are protected at all times and levels of security at nuclear sites are very high. All sites are required to comply with a security plan approved by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and the measures taken exceed international requirements in this area. The Minister, Deputy Roche, has asked the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An overall review of educational disadvantage programmes is currently being finalised by my Department. The purpose of this review is to build on what has been achieved to date, adopt a more systematic, targeted and integrated approach and strengthen the capacity of the system to meet the educational needs of disadvantaged children and young people. The future position in regard to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers towards the cost of renting and renovating the premises which it currently occupies. This application is under consideration in the school planning section of my Department. A decision will be taken in the matter as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's maintenance grants schemes, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending approved third level courses in approved institutions. An approved course for the purpose of the schemes means a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration and a full time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an...

Written Answers — Retirement Age: Retirement Age (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Retirement by age 65 is a standard feature of public service pension schemes and usually, as in the case of established civil servants, involves retirement on the public servants 65th birthday. Special provisions applicable to teachers allow service to continue until the end of the school year in which age 65 is attained. The standard retirement age of 65 was recently addressed in the Public...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a suitable site for a new school has been identified in the Dublin 18 area. Acquisition of the site is at conveyancing stage. The school is expected to commence operation next September and the planning section of my Department is currently liaising with the chairperson of the board of management with view to procuring temporary accommodation to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is actively engaged in pursuing the development of a second level programme for children with Asperger's syndrome on Dublin's north side. A letter outlining proposals regarding the establishment of a unit for pupils with Asperger's syndrome has recently issued to a post-primary school in that area.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The case referred to by the Deputy has been reviewed by my Department. Arising from the review, my Department's position remains that satisfactory facilities exist within the State to meet the person's educational needs. In the circumstances, it is not proposed to make funding available for the person in question towards an educational placement abroad.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Following a review by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, of the three technological subjects at leaving certificate level four syllabi have been submitted to my Department for consideration. These are engineering technology, formerly engineering; architectural technology, formerly construction studies; design and communication graphics, formerly technical drawing; and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. The Deputy should note that significant improvements have been...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has submitted an application for grant aid under the summer works scheme, SWS, for roof repairs and mechanical works. All SWS applications are currently being assessed in the school planning section of my Department. I intend to publish the list of successful applicants shortly.

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Information in the detail requested is not available in the Department but will be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools...