Results 10,621-10,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A date for a technical inspection of the schools to which the Deputy refers will be arranged as soon as possible in the context of competing priorities under the school Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 585 and 586 together. I can confirm that the School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital works from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. This application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes applications for the establishment of special classes. Responsibility for enrolment to these classes rests with the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Apr 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 currently 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...

Written Answers — Human Rights: Human Rights (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The case referred to by the Deputy is being reviewed in my Department. I will arrange to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy following the review.

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 591 together. For about 80 years prior to 1922, the administration of the primary education system was governed by a set of Rules, the Rules for National Schools made by the Commissioners. The Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, a body corporate created by Royal Charter in1845. Section 1 of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 assigned...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for a PE Hall from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. This application 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 is being considered in the context of the multi-annual...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. Data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements in the levels of direct funding to second level schools have been made in recent years. The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second level system. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principle determinant of funding. There are however significant differences in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The long term projected enrolment has recently been re-assessed for this school. Accordingly, the brief for the project has been amended to provide adequate accommodation for a Principal + 7 Classroom Teachers + 1.5 Learning Support/ Resource teachers. My Department's technical team...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In November 2006, I announced details of 80 schools to start architectural planning. The school referred to by the Deputy was included in this announcement. The school will commence architectural planning to design and build an extension which will allow it to cater for a long-term projected staffing of a Principal plus 8 Mainstream Assistants with appropriate ancillary accommodation.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is in receipt of an application for improved accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The Department recently visited the school to examine and determine the capacity of the existing site to facilitate the building project. The building project required to deliver the school accommodation is being considered in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In determining the pupil teacher ratio at primary level, all teachers in primary schools are counted. In determining the average class size in primary schools, class teachers are counted. Ancillary staff are not included in either of these calculations. Information in relation to class sizes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The details for the current school year...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Expenditure on rental of temporary school premises for approximately 550 schools which includes the cost of renting prefabricated buildings in 2006 was €24.5m. To put this into context this represents less than 4.7% of the total expenditure on school buildings (some €525m) incurred in 2006. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Generally speaking the Department in assessing applications for building projects under the mainstream building programme would as a matter of course conduct a technical inspection of the building and the site involved in order to determine how best to provide for the school's accommodation needs into the future. Of the 142 projects announced since January 2006 to enter into architectural...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department is in receipt of an application for large scale capital funding from the school to which he refers. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme.

Written Answers — Third Level Students: Third Level Students (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Data on the average annual cost of living for higher education students is not collected annually. The main source of data is the Eurostudent Survey, conducted by the Higher Education Authority. The second survey in the series, published in 2005, indicates that the average monthly expenditure (excluding tobacco, alcohol and entertainment) incurred by a student residing at home was €340 and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The process of reviewing the income limits, rates of grant and other aspects of the general criteria of the 2007 Maintenance Grant Schemes is a priority in my Department at present. The rules and guidelines for the Special Rates of Maintenance Grant will be examined as part of this process. Decisions on the 2007 schemes will be announced as soon as the process is completed.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management, the enrolment in the...