Results 11,081-11,100 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A submission has been received by the Department from the school authority in relation to a permanent location for the school on the Grangegorman site. The Department has always stated that it has no difficulty in principle with the school being permanently located in Grangegorman. This is acknowledged in the school's submission. The Department is requesting that this requirement be...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (27 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. DEIS will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of identifying primary and...

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

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the property to which he refers will be retained for educational use. Discussions with various providers have been on-going in this regard and I expect a final decision to issue shortly.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware that there are extensive housing developments and population increases in the Swords, Skerries, Balbriggan and Lusk areas of Fingal and that this has led to increased demand for school places. Earlier this year, the Department published a Draft Area Development Plan setting out infrastructural requirements for the foreseeable future for the north Dublin, east Meath...

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

Mary Hanafin: Fingal County Council has reserved two school sites in Skerries for primary education requirements. The Department has instructed the County Council to acquire one of the sites as a matter of top priority for the purpose of providing both a new primary school and permanent accommodation for St. Michael's House Special School. It is the Department's intention to have suitable temporary...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (27 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It has become evident that, in some rapidly developing areas, the traditional manner in which Patron's establish schools can no longer be assumed. In recognition of this phenomenon, I announced earlier this year, the development of a new Patron model, with the VEC to act as Patron. This suggested model has been broadly welcomed by the Education Partners. Work on the development of a new...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government commitment in this area is for the long term funding for the existing centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable my Department to support them as primary schools for children with autism. In relation to specific provision for children with autism, my Department considers that as each...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (27 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In order to meet the language needs of students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jun 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 criteria to qualify 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government commits to long term funding for the existing centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable my Department to support them as primary schools for children with autism. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that, since the launch of the Programme for Government,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme which provides funding to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting an educational placement and children with autism requiring early educational intervention. The child...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 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 my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 182, inclusive, together. I wish to advise the Deputy that the home tuition scheme provides funding to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting an educational placement....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Special Rate of Maintenance Grant is available to students in receipt of the ordinary maintenance grant under each of my Department's four maintenance grant schemes, which includes the Higher Education Grant Scheme. In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, including the following: 1.An applicant must qualify for the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. I...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has always been committed to putting a suitable accommodation solution in place for the school referred to by the Deputy for next September. This is being achieved by the placement of temporary accommodation on a site on the Oscar Traynor Road. To allow for any unforeseen difficulties with this measure, the Department has advised the school authority to extend its current...

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

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the Department have completed a technical visit of the School in County Cork referred to by the Deputy and are in the process of drawing up a detailed accommodation brief for this project. The project will be considered for progression in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: On foot of the NSAC recommendations, I announced earlier this year the establishment of 13 new primary schools, from September 2007 in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of the Education Act 1998 and the published criteria for recognition of new schools. I also indicated that I would, in order to consider further the application from the schools referred to by the Deputy, be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNA) to schools to support children with special needs. I understand that the local SENO has sanctioned a full-time SNA to the school to cater for the care needs of the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Jun 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The relocation of 100 posts in my Department to Athlone will commence when the new office accommodation in Athlone is ready for occupation. This accommodation is under construction at present. The Office of Public Works, which has responsibility for the procurement of office accommodation under the programme of decentralisation, has indicated that the new accommodation in Athlone will be...