Results 11,621-11,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Responsibility for the award of sanctioned increases to pensions of retired VEC teachers is a matter for the relevant Vocational Education Committee (VEC), which determines the revised rate of pension, and the associated Local Authority (County Council or Borough Authority) which makes the actual payment. My Department notified all VECs by circular letter dated 5th June 2007 of the revised...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the tendering process for the proposed building project at the school in question is almost complete. The tender reports have recently been returned to the Client and these will be assessed by their Design Team.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The detailed implementation measures relating to the establishment of the proposed national community school pilot project are being worked up by my Department.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently located on a temporary basis on grounds under the ownership of the County Kerry VEC. The issue of a new school building project and the location of same will have to be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 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 to schools to support children with special needs. My officials have been in contact with the NCSE and I understand that the SENO has been liaising with the...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Agreement has been reached between the trustees of the three existing post primary schools in Skibbereen to amalgamate into a single school. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) was requested to source a site to facilitate this amalgamation. Following advertisement a number of sites were identified and examined. Those considered potentially suitable were then...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100, 102 and 103 together. Acquisition of a 6 acre site for primary school provision in Tyrellstown is well advanced at contract stage. The site is such that it should provide accommodation for up to two 24 classroom schools, each of which would have a 3 stream junior infant intake. This equates to a pupil intake of 162 junior infants per year. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I assume the school referred to by the Deputy is that serving part of the Dublin 15 area. The brief for the building project is to construct a new 24-classroom primary school to cater for a projected long-term enrolment of 600 pupils. In addition, my Department has entered into a co-funding agreement with the Local Authority to provide additional community facilities on the school site,...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In recent years, unprecedented levels of investment has been provided both to improve existing school facilities and to provide extra school places where they are needed. Improved forward planning has also been put in place through greater cooperation between the Department of Education and local authorities and the publication of 10-year Area Development Plans by my Department. This...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is 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 educational intervention for pre-school children with...

Written Answers — Teaching Posts: Teaching Posts (4 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A special arrangement regarding the retention of their teaching posts operates for teachers who are members of the Oireachtas. The terms of the arrangement provide that a teacher in a recognised primary or second level school whilst a member of the Oireachtas can retain their teaching post subject to the approval of the managerial authority. Teaching salary is paid to the Oireachtas member...

Shannon Airport (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport and the Marine, Deputy Dempsey. Under the memorandum and articles of association, the State is entitled to appoint three directors to the board of Aer Lingus. Currently, there is only one State appointed director serving on the board and it is now proposed that two further appointments be made. The State's...

Schools Building Projects. (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. His main interest concerns the school to which he referred. I understand there are two schools listed for Ballynacargy, each with its own roll number. One is Scoil Bhríde and the other is Ballynacargy mixed national school. My reply to the parliamentary question last week related to Scoil Bhríde and my reply tonight concerns the mixed national...

Site Acquisitions. (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Tom Hayes for giving me an opportunity to outline the current position maidir le Gaelscoil Chluain Meala. Tuigim go maith an gá atá ann le haghaidh scoil nua. I genuinely appreciate that the school has had to wait a long time for new accommodation. The Government will do all it can to acquire a site for the gaelscoil as soon as possible. The aggressive protest that took...

Written Answers — Student Support Services: Student Support Services (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I do not believe that there is a need to set up an independent body on the lines suggested by the Deputy. Our higher education institutions are autonomous bodies which have statutory and other grievance procedures. The statutory procedures provide for appointment of an independent person or persons as appropriate. Of course, where allegations are of a criminal nature they should be reported...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to sites acquisitions, has secured a site for the provision of a new school. The building programme required to deliver the new school building will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently 369 Special Need Assistants (whole-time equivalents) employed in schools in Co. Kildare. Three hundred and forty one are serving in Primary schools and twenty eight in Post Primary schools. It is not possible to provide this information for previous years.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the Department are currently in the process of arranging a technical visit to the schools referred to by the Deputy. The school authorities will be notified directly as soon as arrangements in this regard have been finalised.