Results 11,501-11,520 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Allowances: School Allowances (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The commitment in the Programme for Government is to examine how local authorities might grant allow schools a reasonable level of usage of water and waste services without charge, and that charges would only apply when a school exceeded the allowance. The Deputy will appreciate that it is a primarily a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128, 144 and 156 together. As the Deputy will be aware, many positive developments in relation to the teaching of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) have taken place in recent years, and these have been further strengthened through making Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) a mandatory programme for junior cycle since September 2003. In...

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Erasmus programme has been in existence since 1987. Since then, 1.7 million students Europe-wide, including 24,292 students from Ireland, have engaged in study periods abroad under the programme. In 1987, 112 Irish students participated in the programme; this figure rose to 1567 students in 2005-06. In 2005-06, Irish students spent periods abroad at a variety of universities in 23...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I would like to thank the Deputy for the opportunity to outline the services in curriculum development provided at primary school level by the relevant support services/agencies. The Primary Curriculum Support Service (PCSP) was set up to mediate the Primary School Curriculum for teachers and to enable them to implement it in their schools. The programme of support delivered to date has...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I take the issue of bullying in schools, in all of its forms, including homophobic bullying very seriously and my Department and I are strongly committed to removing all barriers to full participation in education, including barriers caused by the sexual orientation of students. The Deputy will be aware that the education of students in both primary and post-primary schools in relation to...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 407 together. My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. By the 2006/07 school year, we had reduced the average class size in our primary schools to 24, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were staffed on the...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Government published the Report of the Expert Group on Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) on 22nd March, 2007, which examined a wide range of issues in relation to potential health effects of EMF, including those produced by mobile telecommunications. The Expert Group was chaired by Dr Michael Repacholi, former Coordinator, Radiation and Environmental Health Unit, World...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. By the 2006/07 school year, we had reduced the average class size in our primary schools to 24, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were staffed on the basis...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. By the 2006/07 school year, we had reduced the average class size in our primary schools to 24, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were staffed on the basis...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I believe that standardised testing, carried out on a systematic basis, has great potential to enhance the quality of teaching and learning for our students at classroom level, and to provide valuable information for parents about their children's learning. I have accepted the advice from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) that, as part of a range of assessment...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not intend to distribute world maps using Peters projection to schools. Post-primary schools are supplied with an equipment list and specifications for a Social Studies room in the context of a refurbishment, extension or the provision of a new school building. This equipment list and specifications (coded as Environmental and Social Studies — ESS) is also available on...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Joint Committee Report of the Provision of Educational Services in a Multi-Ethnic/Multi-Cultural Society, which was published in April of 2004, is an important snap-shot of the educational needs of newcomers at a particular point in time. I am pleased that since its publication, a great deal of work has been done in this area, which addresses the issues highlighted in the Report. The...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is currently considering a number of options to provide for the accommodation needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. As soon as a decision has been made, the Department will be in contact with the school authority.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the following Table.

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently 56 fee-charging second level schools in the country, of which 21 are Protestant, 2 Inter-denominational, one Jewish and the remainder Catholic. Fee-charging schools, with the exception of the Protestant and Jewish fee-charging schools for which special arrangements apply, do not receive capitation or related supports. Protestant fee-charging schools receive funding...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs. I am determined to ensure that all children get the support they need to reach their full potential. I am particularly conscious that the parents of children with special needs are under much pressure and give much dedicated time and...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Higher Education Policy Institute report (2007) references data derived from the Eurostudent Survey of 2005 and from a more detailed survey that took place in England and Wales. In Ireland the Eurostudent Survey was undertaken by the Higher Education Authority who commissioned the ESRI to manage the survey. The Higher Education Policy Institute report indicates that of the 8 European...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: While schools are requested to return the information by 31 October each year — 4 weeks after the Census date — in many cases schools do not make a return until much later. It is not possible to finalise the Primary school database until all schools have been returned. In recent years, some schools have been outstanding as late as June following the Census.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware that there are extensive housing developments and population increases in the greater Dublin area 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 and south Louth areas. This Plan...