Results 1,081-1,100 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The planning section of my Department is in consultation with the school authorities and the local schools' inspectors in the matter and no final decision has been made.

Written Answers — Retirement Provisions: Retirement Provisions (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I take it that the Deputy is referring to a lecturer who has attained, or is about to attain, age 65. Retirement by age 65 is a standard feature of public service pension schemes and usually, as in the case of established civil servants, involves retirement on the public servant's 65th birthday. Special provisions applicable to lecturers in institutes of technology and teachers in the public...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An employer issues a P45 upon the resignation or termination of a person's employment with an organisation. The person in question was removed from the Department's payroll in July 2003, following an unexplained absence from work for a number of weeks. As the person in question has not submitted formal notice of her resignation from the Department, a P45 has not issued.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department understands that Athlone Town Council has proposed to construct an inner relief road to reduce traffic congestion in Athlone. However, the proposed road will necessitate the acquisition of the Athlone mixed national school site. The town council has proposed a new site for the school. Any decision in this matter, in the first instance, must be taken by the board of management...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that, arising from the provisions of the Protection of Employees (Part-time Work) Act 2001, special needs assistants in second level schools are eligible for admission to pensionability in accordance with standard public service arrangements. A circular letter which will set out the detailed arrangements for such admission is being prepared and it is expected that it will be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: To date, my Department has allocated a total of 17.39 whole-time equivalent special needs assistants at post-primary level in County Kildare, with 9.51 at VEC schools, 4.95 at secondary schools and 2.93 at community and comprehensive schools. While approval for the post of special needs assistant is granted by my Department, the appointment of individual special needs assistants in second...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is actively engaged in pursuing the development of a second level programme for children with Asperger's syndrome on Dublin's north side. A letter outlining proposals regarding the establishment of a unit for pupils with Asperger's syndrome has recently issued to St. Joseph's Secondary School, Fairview,Dublin 3.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that special needs assistants, SNAs, may be approved to support pupils who have a significant medical need for assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a danger to themselves or other pupils. The criteria used for the assessment of the need for SNA support is outlined in my Department's...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is my intention to visit New York and Philadelphia. My itinerary has not been finalised yet but it includes the following engagements: Parades in New York and Philadelphia; ICCUSA business breakfast; Tourism Ireland event in Philadelphia; Irish Chamber Orchestra debut performance, Carnegie Hall; Ireland — US Council lunch; Top 100 event in New York; Mayor's breakfast, New York;...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the situation which arose in Limerick recently where 87 children did not receive an offer of a place in any of their preferred schools in the first round of offers from the city schools. However, it is important to point out that the process did not conclude with the first round offers. The school authorities continued to meet in an effort to place all applicants. I am happy to...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school completion programme, which was launched in 2002, incorporates the learning, experience and best practice derived from previous early school leaving initiatives, namely the eight to fifteen early school leaver initiative, ESLI, and the stay in school retention initiative, SSRI. The school completion programme is a key component of my Department's strategy to discriminate positively...

Written Answers — Overseas Students: Overseas Students (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The working group referred to by the Deputy has completed its work. Its report, entitled Internationalisation of Irish Education Services was published in November 2004. The report, which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, recommends, inter alia, the establishment of a new statutory body called Education Ireland to attract overseas students to Ireland. My Department...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The compulsory school starting age in a national school is six. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to support students in these disability categories. This model,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for refurbishment has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. This application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. Progress on this project is being considered in the context of the school building programme. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I announced the end of the freeze on third level capital funding when I gave immediate approval for key projects in the third level sector in November 2004. The projects selected have been identified as being of a high national priority and include a number of new facilities to support the provision of additional health skills places and the expansion of teacher training places. I also...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. The number of mainstream posts is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is finalised for a particular school year following discussions with the education partners. The staffing schedule is set out in a circular which issues from the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All Department of Education and Science recognised primary and post-primary schools are eligible to apply for capital grant aid under the various schemes operated by my Department. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that I recently announced the first two phases of the 2005 school building programme which provided details of 22 major school building projects country wide which will...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Mar 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 and 360 together. The building projects for the schools in question are at an early stage of architectural planning. I recently announced details of 122 major school building projects that will progress to the tender and construction phase over the next 12 to 15 months under the €3.4 billion multi-annual funding secured for the years 2005 to 2009. I have...