Results 10,521-10,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I announced in June 2006 that the Vocational Education Committees were to be given sole responsibility for the administration of the third level student maintenance grants, as part of my overall plans to introduce service improvements in the administration of the student grant schemes. The arrangements for the future administration will be provided for in new statutory framework through a...

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 which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. The Higher Education Grant Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area, is under way in the Department which will assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When the long-term...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers made applications under both the Summer Works Scheme and the Small Schools Scheme 2007. The application under Summer Works Scheme was for provision of fencing. On the 8 January last, I announced details of the schools to receive funding to improve facilities under the Summer Works Scheme 2007. Under the published prioritisation criteria governing the...

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

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the staffing of our second level schools in recent years. In the 2001/2002 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006/2007, the corresponding figure is 25,484 wholetime equivalent posts. This increase in staffing has dramatically improved the pupil teacher ratio at...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am not aware of any reference in the State Examinations Commission's annual report to the effect that bonus marks for Irish in the State examinations should be dropped. The policy of awarding bonus marks for Irish in the State examinations was introduced by the Government in the 1920s as one of a number of initiatives to promote the study of subjects through Irish, reflecting the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for a new school building. Officials in the School Planning Section of the Department are currently considering a number of options for the long term solution to the school's accommodation difficulties. While no possibility will be ruled out, a site must be in either the Department's ownership or a Patron's...

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

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant of €200,000 was sanctioned in 2004 to enable the management authorities of the school in question to extend and refurbish the school. The initiative allows Boards of Management to address their accommodation needs and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives Boards of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which became operational on 1st January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports for pupils in primary and post primary schools. The role of the NCSE includes taking over some key functions in relation to special education provision from the Department of...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for funding was received in my 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 my Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the school in question was not...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In 2006 I introduced, with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance, pension arrangements for caretaking staff employed under the 1979 scheme. These arrangements provide that membership of the superannuation scheme will be effective from 1 September 2001 in the case of eligible caretakers in service at that time. The pension scheme will be a contributory, defined benefit scheme and will...

Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The cost of substitution arising from teachers' participation in approved professional development programmes is included in the budget of the Teacher Education Section of my Department. The position is that substitution is available where this is essential for teachers on in-service courses as part of national programmes of in-service relating to changes in curriculums and school...

Written Answers — Lyons Estate: Lyons Estate (27 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware the Lyons Estate is in the ownership of a third level institution. The institution is an autonomous body and the day to day management of the institution's affairs is a matter for the Governing Body of the institution. I have been informed by the Higher Education Authority that the Governing Body is continuing with a review of its overall campus development plan,...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which she refers applied for capital funding under the Department's Small Schools Scheme, SSS, for 2007. The school's application was unsuccessful due to higher priorities under the prioritisation criteria for the scheme. However, it is open to the school authorities to apply for funding under the 2008 scheme, details of which will be announced...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A suitable building for the school in question has been identified. A formal offer, subject to Contract, for its purchase has been made by my Department to the vendor's agents within the past week. The vendor has been allowed 14 days from the date of the offer in which to respond and my Department is hopeful of a positive response.

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (28 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 — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In 2006 I introduced, with the concurrence of the Minister for Finance, pension arrangements for caretaking staff employed under the 1979 Scheme. These arrangements provide that membership of the pension scheme will be effective from 1 September 2001 in the case of eligible caretakers in service at that time. The pension scheme will be a contributory, defined benefit scheme and will provide...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Two Montessori qualifications are currently recognised for the purpose of appointment to the following posts in primary schools: resource teaching posts, special classes and special schools. The two recognised qualifications are (i) the three-year full-time course in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) College, Mount St. Mary's, Milltown, Dublin 14 and (ii) the HETAC accredited...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Voicemail messages are bilingual (Irish and English) when a member of staff in my Department can provide a service through Irish. Where staff are unable to provide a service through Irish, the caller is offered the option to have the call returned, within one working day, by an Irish speaking member of staff. My Department published its Scheme under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act in...

Written Answers — Swimming Pool Projects: Swimming Pool Projects (28 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is in receipt of an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for the refurbishment/redevelopment of its sports complex including the swimming pool. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a band 4 rating. Progress on the project will be considered in the context...