Results 10,401-10,420 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It has been decided, in the current year, to extend participation in the Modern Languages Initiative referred to by the Deputy to approximately 70 primary schools that were on the waiting list for inclusion in the Initiative, and that have staff members with relevant expertise in modern languages having completed one of the special courses in this area provided by the Institutes of...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In early 2006, I announced an implementation strategy following publication of "School Matters" the Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools, and that strategy is now well advanced. At the core of the recommendations of the Task Force was the putting in place of a National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS). This has now happened with the appointment of a National...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 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 those from disadvantaged areas are getting more support than ever...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Each sector in the education system has specific funding requirements which derive from the length, complexity and nature of the education/training courses being provided. My aim is to ensure that all sectors have adequate resources, including financial resources, to enable schools and colleges to effectively deliver quality education and training programmes. The Deputy will be pleased to...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is difficult to predict the number of additional posts that will be created because of demographic changes and the uncertainty as to how any increases in enrolment will be spread over individual schools. Schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and the Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes or age groups. However, on the...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The percentage of the 2007 Education & Science budget devoted to teacher salaries by sector is as follows: Primary 20.92% Post-primary 20.72% The post-primary total includes salaries in Voluntary Secondary, Community, Comprehensive and VEC schools.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is important to note that the international comparisons given below draw on 2003 data in most instances, and, that as a result significant advances in Ireland's performance on a number of fronts over the last three years are not reflected in the figures. For example, total expenditure by the Department of Education and Science has increased from 4.9% to 5.2% of national income (Gross...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is difficult to predict the number of additional posts that will be created because of demographic changes and the uncertainty as to how any increases in enrolment will be spread over individual schools. Schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and the Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes or age groups. However, on the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is difficult to predict the number of additional posts that will be created because of demographic changes and the uncertainty as to how any increases in enrolment will be spread over individual schools. Schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and the Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes or age groups. The pupil teacher...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200, 219 and 233 together. I am pleased to advise that my Department recently sanctioned home tuition for the child in question and a letter to this effect has issued to the family.

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases such as that referred to by the Deputy. However, I would like to assure the Deputy that where allegations of child abuse are reported to my Department, whether current or having occurred in the past, these are brought to the attention of both the relevant school authority and the Health Service Executive. Child...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 to 204, inclusive, together. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs resources such as resource teaching hours and special needs assistant (SNA) support on the basis of...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together. Dr. Jim Port has been asked to assess the submission made by the Governing Body of Waterford Institute of Technology having regard to (i) national strategy for the development of Irish higher education; (ii) implications for regional development in the South East in the context of the National Spatial Strategy and (iii) any...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I do not accept that the teaching supports available for children with dyslexia are poor. My Department has given a very high priority to the provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading. As the Deputy is aware, my Department implemented a general allocation system in all primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware that the school in question was invited to participate in the 2006 Permanent Accommodation Scheme and accepted the invitation. This Scheme allows schools to proceed with small scale permanent building projects with minimum interaction with my Department. The grant-aid awarded is to cover construction costs only and the conditions attaching to the grant does not cover the cost of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested is not available in the format sought by the Deputy. However science facilities have been provided/improved as part of my Department's record school building programme which from 2000 to 2006 involved the delivery of over 7,800 projects with an investment of €2.6 billion. Typically this investment involved the provision of modern science facilities in new...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Claims for improvements in the conditions of service of teachers are processed through the Teachers Conciliation Council in accordance with the terms of the revised Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for Teachers. Under the terms of revised Circular 10/01, in order for service to be recognised for the award of incremental credit, the service must have been remunerated, full-time,...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application was received in the Department, under the Small Schools Scheme 2007, from the school referred to by the Deputy. On 5 March 2007, I announced details of the schools to receive funding under this Scheme. Due to the volume of applications received in the Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the school referred to by the Deputy was not...