Results 10,461-10,480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: They need not be held in Dublin. They are held in independent local areas. For example, I was going through Athlone one day and met the appeals board in a hotel. It was an independent, neutral but local area convenient to everybody.

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

Mary Hanafin: The very reason we are introducing this legislation is that schools believed the criteria set out were insufficient to enable them to look after the health, safety and welfare of other students. The issues to which Senator Ulick Burke referred arose prior to the introduction of this Bill, when there were no criteria or guidelines and no issues for the appeals board to consider. This...

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

Mary Hanafin: It is not a teachers' union or a managers' representative body. However, it has to uphold the constitutional right of young people to an education. I share that duty as Minister for Education and Science. Each three-person board will include an inspector who has an overview of schools through visiting them regularly and who will have an understanding of the situation. The other two...

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

Mary Hanafin: In any event, both the VEC and the Department upheld the appeal, and it made no difference at all. The issue raised by the parent pertained to the conditions attached to the appeal at the VEC level, which the student won. The parent did not like the conditions and went to the Department. In both cases, the appeal was upheld. Not all schools have the required policies in place. They...

Schools Building Projects. (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Deenihan for giving me the opportunity of outlining the position of the Department of Education and Science regarding O'Brennan national school, Kielduff, Tralee, County Kerry. Modernising facilities in our 3,200 primary and 750 post-primary schools is not an easy task, given the legacy of decades of under-investment in this area as well as the need to respond to emerging needs...

Inquiry into Child Abuse. (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to extend my sincere sympathy to those who were subjected to abuse in their schools, places where, as children, they should have felt safe and protected. Child abuse is devastating wherever it occurs and I know victims continue to carry a great deal of hurt and emotional pain. Abuse of a child is an abhorrent, inexcusable act. It brings suffering both to the victim and to his or her...

Schools Building Projects. (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Rather than repeating my reply to Deputy Deenihan, I acknowledge that Deputy Ferris is correct and that Deputy McEllistrim also expressed his concerns about this school. Had the school progressed its building project a few years ago, it would now be too small because the population of the area has grown and the numbers in the school have increased. It was therefore essential to examine the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512, 552 and 588 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. The issue of retrospective funding has been raised with my Department. However, it is difficult to see a basis for such a payment as a suitable placement was available at that time...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants (HEG) Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' (VEC) Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The decision on eligibility for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers incurred costs of €377,507. On 11 March 2007 my colleague Mr. Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and I jointly announced the provision of a support and development initiative for the Irish language in Baile Bhuirne. This initiative is aimed at supporting and enhancing an integrated spectrum of services to...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled at present and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517, 541, 544 and 545 together. A decision was taken by the Trustees of the school to which the Deputy refers that it will close in June 2007. This decision was taken because, in line with demographic changes in the area, the school has experienced a steady decline in enrolments in recent years. Current enrolments in feeder primary schools indicate that this...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Correspondence in relation to this matter has been received recently in the Department and is being considered by the Department.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 559 together. An application for capital funding has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. This application will be assessed with reference to factors such as current and projected enrolments at the school, the likely impact of ongoing and proposed housing developments and existing provision in the general area. When this...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The existing pre-service teacher training programmes in the Colleges of Education (primary teacher training) include specific elements aimed at enabling all student teachers to recognise and deal with children with special educational needs, including pupils with Autism. At second level, there are elements to both the Higher Diploma in Education and the Education Degree programmes in the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department's spending on the home tuition scheme has not been reduced. The cost of the home tuition scheme has increased from €5.3 million in 2004 to over €8 million in 2006. The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can assure the Deputy that every effort is made to process all claims for payment as speedily as possible. While there may have been delays in respect of some such payments, my officials are not aware of a general problem in relation to the payment of home tuition claims for the period in question. If the Deputy is aware of a particular case and wishes to provide the relevant details, my...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has been in contact with the school authorities in relation to this matter. An application from the school for funding to provide toilet facilities under the Emergency Works Grant is awaited.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In the particular case referred to by the Deputy the school authority is aware of my Department's policy in the filling of publicly funded teaching posts and the payment of teachers. Officials in my Department have been in communication with the person to outline the policy.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The details for the amalgamation of the schools to which the Deputy refers are being finalised. A technical inspection of the buildings concerned was recently carried out to determine the scope of works required to facilitate the amalgamation and to accommodate another school in one of the buildings which will be vacated post amalgamation. Following this inspection, the Department appointed...