Results 10,981-11,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating support teaching and special need assistants as a school-based resource for pupils in need of additional supports. I understand that no application for SNA support in respect of this child has been made to the local SENO. I have arranged...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 523 and 565 together. 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. My Department provides funding to secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension and refurbishment project has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area will be required in order to 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 — School Transport: School Transport (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the programme for Government, my Department will be examining how to advance a review of the School Transport system. A number of improvements have recently been made to school bus transport such as the phasing out of the '3 for 2' seating arrangements. All children travelling on school buses under the school transport scheme have been provided with individual seats. Bus...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school submitted an application under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 for additional accommodation including mainstream classrooms. Due to the volume of applications received in the Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the school referred to by the Deputy was not successful in this instance. The Department has received an appeal from the school in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Planning Permission has recently been granted for the school building referred to by the Deputy and it is envisaged that the project will proceed to tender and construction later this year.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) that is administered by NEPS. NEPS does not keep waiting lists for assessments of children but in common with other psychological services encourages a...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: While the Department has no immediate plans to purchase the site referred to by the Deputy, it will continue to monitor the demand for school places in the Stepaside area to ensure that any extra demand for post primary school places is met in a timely manner.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its time-table and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The school in question received its final allocation on 19th...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for maintenance grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or Vocational Education Committee. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department save, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. No such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is unclear from the Deputy's question whether the student referred to is pursuing a second undergraduate course — with a graduate entry requirement — or whether the course in medicine is at postgraduate level. In the case of this query relating to a second undergraduate course I wish to advise that under the prescribed terms and conditions of my Department's student maintenance grant...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The long term projected staffing, on which the schools accommodation needs are based, is being considered in the Department at present. Once the long term projection has been determined and agreed with the school authorities, a decision will be made on how best to address the school's accommodation needs. When this assessment is complete and the long-term projected staffing agreed with the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education, through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools. Special Need Assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. My officials have been in contact with the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Jun 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 the Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The person referred to by the Deputy is entitled to be a member of the contributory pension scheme for full-time non-teaching employees of community and comprehensive schools since 1st September 2006. The Board of Management of the school have been notified of the pension deductions to make on behalf of the individual in question.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under the general funding arrangements for school building projects the amount of the local contribution for extensions/ refurbishments is 10% of the total project cost with the contribution being capped at €31,500.00. The level of the local contribution for schools with disadvantaged status is 5 % of the project cost subject to a maximum amount of €12,500.00. These arrangements are of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension and refurbishment project has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. This project was originally determined with a projected enrolment of 550 pupils and will have to be re-assessed in the light of decreases in enrolment trends in recent years. This will comprise a reassessment of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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 assessment is complete, a decision will be taken on how best to...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (26 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the details of a funding package for the graduate medical entry programme are currently under consideration in my Department. While the overall funding package has not yet been fully agreed, I expect that this will be finalised shortly.