Results 11,521-11,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is generally accepted that our primary school system has served the country very well over the years. Primary schools have always been an important feature in communities and provide a base in which social inclusion is fostered and where the involvement and support of parents and the broader community is well recognised. Since the advent of greatly increased immigration to Ireland, primary...

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

Mary Hanafin: It is a matter for individual schools to determine their enrolment policies. In doing so schools must act in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act and equal status legislation. As the Deputy will be aware, the vast majority of primary schools in this country were established by the Catholic Church. However, they have historically welcomed pupils from all backgrounds and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The cost of any site is determined both by the amount of land required to accommodate the size of the school together with the value of land pertaining in the actual location of the proposed school. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions generally. In certain circumstances local authorities also acquire...

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

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Welfare Board is developing a nationwide service on a continuing basis that is accessible to schools, parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) have been deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board's...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the situation to which the Deputy refers. However, the use of school property not owned by the State is entirely a matter for a Board of Management and the Patron. The only concern for the Department is to ensure that any non-mainstream school usage of the school premises does not impede the delivery of the curriculum.

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

Mary Hanafin: The total number of teachers teaching in primary schools as at June of this year, was 28,735. 28,117 of that number were qualified primary teachers, a further 175 qualified post-primary teachers but not qualified primary teachers, and 443 were unqualified teachers. Currently there are 3,213 students pursuing Bachelor of Education degrees in the Colleges of Education, approximately one third...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 412 together. As the Deputies may already be aware, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students and to consolidate the administration of this unified grants scheme in the VEC sector. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administrative system. The scheme, which will be underpinned by a new Student Support...

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

Mary Hanafin: Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second-level, mainly in the case of language subjects, decisions on which textbooks to use in first and second-level schools are taken at school level. Syllabus planners are conscious of the need to avoid over-frequent changes to textbooks, primarily in order to minimise increases in the cost burden for parents. However, textbooks have to be...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In the State examinations all candidates who attempt an examination in a particular subject are awarded a grade ranging from an A (85% and above) to an NG (less than 10%). In the Leaving Certificate, the A grade is sub-divided into an A1 and A2. Irrespective of the grade obtained, all candidates receive a certificate that records all their grades and no candidate is deemed to have failed any...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme which provides funding to parents to provide 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 a suitable educational placement and also to provide early intervention for preschool children with autism....

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. My officials have been in contact with the NCSE in relation to this case and I understand that 3.5...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware that the current lease of the school to which the Deputy refers is due to expire in June 2008. In this context, the department is actively pursuing a number of options to accommodate the school. In the longer term, the Department has requested that a permanent location for the school be included as part of the master planning process on the Grangegorman site.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Grangegorman Development Agency has been informed by my Department that a site for a sixteen classroom school is required for the school in question and that provision should be made for this in the overall strategic plan for the development of the Grangegorman site. The proposed phasing for the delivery of the various aspects of the development will be identified by the Grangegorman...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Given the rapidly developing nature of Balbriggan, the Department is moving, as a matter of top priority, to acquire a number of sites reserved for both primary and post primary provision in the area. Discussions are at an advanced stage with the local authority in this regard. The Deputy will appreciate that due to commercial sensitivities, I am unable to comment on the specifics of any...

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

Mary Hanafin: Section 15(2)(d) of the Education Act 1998 requires the Board of Management to publish the policy of the school concerning the admission to and participation in the school. The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened in 1999 and was built to accommodate 1,000 pupils. Based on the 2006/2007 enrolments, the school had 108 vacant pupil places. The Department is aware of the extensive housing developments and population increases in Skerries which is leading to an increased demand for school places. Earlier this year, the Department published a Draft Area...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to providing a permanent building for the new post-primary school in Donabate. The school will be delivered along with new schools in Phibblestown, Co. Dublin and Laytown, Co. Meath under a design and build contract that is aimed at delivering 3,000 school places for these rapidly developing areas. The Department has appointed a Project Manager to oversee the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted a Major Capital application to expand to a 16 classroom school. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that following discussions between my Department and the school authority, the school has agreed to expand to a 24 classroom school. This building project has been given a Band 1 rating, and as such will be treated as a high priority in the School...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers is included among the schools recently given approval for the appointment of a design team to progress an extension project. A technical site visit will be undertaken shortly. This is one of a range of projects to increase school capacity in the Balbriggan area.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (2 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the management authorities of the school to which he refers were recently notified that the Department granted recognition to the school with effect from 1 September 2007. The Department is moving to acquire a number of sites reserved in the Balbriggan area under the Fingal School Model Agreement for the provision of educational facilities. A permanent...