Results 11,441-11,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I welcome Deputies Brian Hayes and Quinn as spokespersons for their respective parties and thank them for facilitating the change to today's business. In recent years unprecedented levels of investment have been provided both to improve existing school facilities and provide extra school places where needed. Improved forward planning has also been put in place through greater co-operation...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Up to 15,000 more children are attending school than was the case at this time last year. A great deal of work was done to accommodate each of these additional children and only 50 children were left without a place. While phenomenal progress was made in ensuring places were made available, it can be difficult to achieve complete accuracy in this regard owing to the movement of people into...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: There is nothing secretive about the manner in which the Department works. I will give two practical examples. First, the production of our area development plans is a public process in which consultation with every interested partner and members of the public is invited. A number of such plans, which determine what schools are needed and where they are needed, have been published. This...
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been prioritising developing areas for investment under the school building and modernisation programme. During the period of the previous National Development Plan 2000-2006, record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems allowed a major acceleration of the schools building programme. More than â¬2.6 billion was invested...
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The question was put in the past tense, namely, when I established the unit.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The answer I set out was that we are in the process of establishing the unit.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It is in the programme for Government.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: If I may remind the Deputy of my comments, the administrative and technical staffing arrangements and the grading and reporting structures are under consideration. This does not mean we are not planning.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: For many years, the Department has had a full planning and building unit with many staff. It has worked constantly with local authorities to devise area development plans.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I doubt it. Due to the co-operation of people who are willing to provide extra spaces and schools, there is no problem in Balbriggan.
- Departmental Staff. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The people of Balbriggan are upset by allegations of racism against them when that was not the case. The Department of Education and Science has a strong development and planning unit and close links with the local councils, which are obliged to notify and consult with the Department on zonings and developments. During the coming weeks, we will be tightening up on the individuals involved...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: In recent years, unprecedented levels of investment to provide existing school facilities and extra school places where needed and forward planning has ensured greater co-operation. This combination of investment and planning has allowed school extensions to be built across the country and many new schools to be built to meet the needs of developing areas. I beg the Deputy's pardon. I have...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I do not wish to repeat myself.
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I can, but I did not want to mislead the House. I apologise for the replication in my notes. The question refers to ensuring that all children have access to primary school places in September. I have outlined the issues concerning school planning, area development plans, the NDP, the provision of money and ensuring diversity in education. The procedure to establish new schools involves...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It is not fair to accuse the Catholic Church of excluding children.
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I understood that is what the Deputy said because in fairness to schools I have visited all over the country, one sees in them children of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. They are all being welcomed into the schools.
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I know. Then there is no dispute about that. What has been emerging in recent years is demand for greater diversity. The priority must continue to be the provision of places with the provision of diversity as the second priority. Increasingly, newer schools, which are largely being provided in developing areas, are multidenominational. To accommodate the needs of the new Ireland and new...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The issue of diversity is being addressed. For example, among the schools that have indicated an intention to open next year, applications have been made for five new Islamic schools. That is certainly more diverse than the current situation. The new patronage model was not announced 12 months ago; it was announced in February of this year. At the time, I announced the school would open...
- School Placement. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It is a patronage model.
- School Funding. (2 Oct 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Funding to schools to cover their day-to-day running costs has increased substantially in recent years. Indeed, this year schools benefited from the largest ever increase in capitation grant. With increases in capitation and ancillary services funding, primary schools are now getting â¬95 more per pupil per year than they were in 2002. The capitation grant has been increased to â¬163.58...