Results 10,121-10,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: With these areas now largely addressed, in the current school year extra teachers were provided to reduce class sizes and, as Deputies will be aware, the Government has already committed to providing another 800 primary school teachers next September. In the course of this debate, some Members will bring up examples of primary schools with which they are familiar that have large classes in...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Multi-grade classes are the norm in the majority of primary schools which are small schools that have four teachers or fewer. There is no evidence that being taught in a multi-grade setting is to the detriment of the child. The opposite is the case. Perhaps more principals should consider multi-grade classes where they are in the best interests of pupils who might otherwise find themselves...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The increased allocation will ensure that, for the first time, each school will have resource teaching to meet children's individual needs. That was the priority that we set, and I stand by it. We have put a team of 80 local special educational needs organisers on the ground to work with parents and teachers and help them get the appropriate support for their children. At second level,...

Garda Stations. (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Donovan for raising this issue and affording me the opportunity to explain the position regarding Dunmanway Garda station. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. The Minister visited the station in October 2005 on foot of the Deputy's request and made contact with local gardaí in the temporary station....

Hospital Services. (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Services at Connolly Hospital are provided by the Health Service Executive. The hospital is one of three providers of adult urology services on the north side of the city, the others being Beaumont and the Mater. The HSE has advised that the current urology service at Connolly Hospital is...

Hospital Services. (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children. Both the Government and the Health Service Executive are committed to continuing to improve and expand services at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Louth County Hospital in the short and medium term. In the longer term, a new state-of-the-art regional hospital will be built in the north east....

Schools Building Projects. (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to reiterate the Government's commitment to delivering new schools for Laytown on schedule. Prior to the 2005-06 school year there was only one primary school in the Laytown-Bettystown region, catering for children from junior infants to sixth class. Due to demand for increased school places, my Department...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 743 and 808 together. My Department is not required to produce a sectoral plan as the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 (EPSEN Act) specifically deals with the education sector. The National Council for Special Education recently submitted its implementation report which sets out its views and recommendations on a plan for the...

Written Answers — Dormant Accounts Fund: Dormant Accounts Fund (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The closing date for receipt of applications under the Dormant Accounts/RAPID Leverage Fund Small Scale Capital Grants Scheme was 1 March 2007. The Midland Regional Office of my Department received over 1,000 applications for the scheme including applications from both of the schools referred to by the Deputies. These applications are currently being logged and acknowledged. Once this process...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that as a result of a recent planning appeal, the Department has been informed that direction was received by An Bord Pleanála that the contribution charge referred to be omitted from the conditions of planning permission.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Indemnity Agreement concluded between the State and religious congregations in June 2002 provided a fund of €12.7 million for educational programmes for former residents of institutions and their families. Pending the establishment of this fund on a statutory basis, my Department introduced an ad-hoc grants scheme, which was administered by the National Office for Victims of Abuse...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: At present, there is an alleviation scheme in place whereby current medical card holders and their dependents are exempt from the payment of examination fees. This exemption applies to approximately 30% of all examination candidates each year. This alleviation scheme also applies in the case of repeat candidates in respect of both the course fee and the repeat examination fee. This...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 750, 789, 825, 829 and 859 together. Teacher education programmes, provided in approved third level institutions, are recognised for the purposes of the Higher Education Grants Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant holders who are required to participate in off-campus placement, including teaching practice, as part of their course of study continue to...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Schools Broadband Programme provides broadband internet access to Primary and Post Primary schools and includes Content Filtering as an integral part of the service. The Content Filtering service is designed to control the level of access from schools, via the broadband network, to the wider internet. It does this by categorising websites under various categories and providing content...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Teaching Council is the statutory body in this country for the recognition of teaching qualifications. The qualifications held by the person referred to by the Deputy were assessed by the Teaching Council and, subject to conditions, were found to meet the requirements to teach at primary level in Ireland. This person was granted conditional recognition by the Teaching Council on 20th...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organiser (SENO), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports such as resource teaching and special needs assistant (SNA) support in respect of individual pupils. I can confirm for the Deputy that the local SENO has provided the...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Mar 2007)

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. I have made enquiries with the Commission in relation to the issue raised by the Deputy and the position is as follows: A certificate of the results achieved in the Leaving...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 755 and 858 together. The Aisling Project is a mainstreamed Local Drugs Task Force project in the Ballymun area which is funded by my Department. The main aim of the project is to target children most at risk of early school leaving and children who are experiencing difficulties within their home and community. This mainstreamed project is divided into...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: During the consideration of the project the school confirmed to the Department that it was their wish to have their application treated as a new school project rather than an extension to the existing school. Before progressing the project further and to ensure that any capital funding allocated to the provision of a new school building represents optimal use of resources and is appropriate...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 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. The project was approved to proceed to Stage 3 (Developed Sketch Scheme) of Architectural Planning in September 2006. Officials from my Department will be in further contact with the school authorities when the Stage 3 documentation has been received and...