Results 10,441-10,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy was one of the sixty two projects that I announced to start the architectural planning process in January of 2006 and to proceed to tender and construction as per my announcement of November 2006. The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design with an additional bolt-on Special Education Tuition room. A...

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

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Management of each individual school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment by schools. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 265 together. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. Since it was...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 256 together. Between 2000 and 2006 the Department has delivered over 7,800 projects in schools throughout the country with an investment of €2.6 billion. The investment in school buildings under the new NDP for 2007 to 2013 is over €4.5 billion. This multi-annual funding will enable the Department to continue to take a proactive approach in the...

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

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to class sizes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The census for the current school year (2006/2007) is currently being worked on. 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258, 262 and 263 together. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. Since it was...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Third Level maintenance Grant Schemes, which my Department revises annually, are administered by the Local Authorities and VECs. The arrangement for the payment of grants under the Grant Schemes are a matter for the Local Authorities/VECs. The terms of the Higher Education Grants Scheme and the V.E.C. Scholarships Scheme for the 2006/07 academic year provide for the payment by the Local...

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). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs. The unit referred to by the Deputy which is designed to cater for up to 12 pupils was completed in 2003. Such an enrolment would attract a staffing allocation of 2 full time teachers and 4 Special Needs Assistants. The school authorities have...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together. The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department generally on the acquisitions of sites for schools, has identified a suitable site for the school in question. Agreement on the site acquisition has been reached subject to contract. While draft contracts have been exchanged, I am advised that the conveyancing process...

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

Mary Hanafin: The permanent School Building project referred to by the Deputy is at early stage of architectural planning. My Department wrote to the Design Team on the project on the 20th September 2006 requesting a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costings) and this submission is expected in my Department by the end of April this year. When this stage 1/2 submission is received in my...

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

Mary Hanafin: A Design Team was appointed on the School referred to by the Deputy on the 28th November last and the School Authorities were instructed to inform their Design Team to prepare a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costings). The stage 1/2 documentation is now awaited and when this is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Construction on the school building project referred to by the Deputy commenced in May 2006. The project is currently on target and it is envisaged that the school will be ready for occupation in September 2007.

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

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers has not applied to the Department for additional accommodation. However, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that approval has been given to the Board of Management to replace a boiler at the school under the Department's Summer Works Scheme for 2007.

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

Mary Hanafin: The special school referred to by the Deputy is a designated school for pupils with a moderate general learning disability. The school currently has significant educational resources. The staffing level consists of a principal, 8 teachers and 21 special needs assistants supporting 44 pupils aged between 5 and 18 years. Students progress through the school from the primary to post-primary...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Insofar as the area of education is concerned, there are no laws or statutory instruments introduced on foot of European Communities Treaties or on foot of Acts adopted by institutions of the European Communities for breach of which the penalties outlined in the question may apply.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. My Department is working at a senior level with Meath County Council and the schools in Laytown in order to deal with the school accommodation needs of the area for September 2007 and onwards. A site of approx. 15.5 acres was reserved by Meath County Council in the Laytown Local Area Plan for education provision. The land is in the...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The period of that extension may not exceed 14 days. There would be no question of continuing it. That is to protect everybody, which is fair enough because we must ensure a child is not too long out of school in the event that he or she must return to it. The appeals board comprises the most eminent people who have vast experience in education. We are conscious that people involved in...