Results 11,801-11,820 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the modernisation agenda for teachers under the Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016 it was agreed to address the issue of difficulties in relation to Teacher performance. It was recognised that while the vast majority of teachers fulfil their teaching function and professional duties adequately and well, there are, as in all professions, a small number of under performing...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (18 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In 2003, my Department informed each of the Colleges of Education of its support for the inclusion of the Bachelor of Education Degree programme within the Direct Application Scheme for third level places in order to facilitate socio-economically disadvantaged school leavers who wished to train as primary teachers. The Direct Entry Scheme, with a maximum of 5% of all entrants, excluding those...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (18 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Students from this State who are attending undergraduate courses in any EU Member State can apply for maintenance grants in respect of approved courses which are pursued in colleges approved for the purposes of the schemes. My Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (18 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has translated and made available on its website documents in Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Spanish, German and Russian. The information translated is aimed at assisting parents of school going children and the languages currently provided were identified, based on available data, as meeting the greatest need. The final element of this project has...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (18 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The budget for 2007 is the first year of the roll out of the new NDP. This funding will enable my Department to continue to take a proactive approach to the provision of modern school accommodation particularly in developing areas. This year alone around over €540 million will be spent on school building infrastructure with over 1,500 projects on my Department's school building programme....

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that agreement has been reached to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question on a V.E.C. owned site. The site is currently being master planned to facilitate both this school and two other all-Irish schools. All of the school authorities will be kept informed of progress in this regard.

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Among the recommendations contained in the Music Network report was that a series of Music Education Partnerships would be developed between the County/City Development Boards and the Vocational Education Committees on a phased basis. In 2004, my Department began funding a pilot programme in both Dublin City and in Donegal VECs to test approaches to delivery of the proposed model. Resources...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has been requested to source a site for a new national school in Monreagh. The title on the preferred site option is currently being investigated by the Chief State Solicitors Office. Agreement to enter a Contract for purchase of this site will be...

Written Answers — Cross-Border Projects: Cross-Border Projects (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department, together with the Department of Education Northern Ireland, has responsibility for the development of co-operation and common action in the field of education between both parts of the island of Ireland, in the context of the Good Friday Agreement. My Department is required to take forward this co-operation through the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) and to develop,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of new school building has been received from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. An assessment of projected enrolment trends, demographic trends and housing developments in the area will be required in order to determine the long term projected staffing figure on which the school's accommodation needs will be based. Once...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. The Commission issued a Press Release on 10th October giving details of the 2007 Leaving Certificate appeals by subject. A copy of the Press Release is included below for the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422, 423, 429 and 444 together. The school to which the Deputies refer has submitted an application for a new school building and the Department is acutely aware of the need for a solution to the school's accommodation needs. In this regard, officials in the School Planning Section are actively pursuing a number of options including the provision of a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am advised that it is the Department's understanding that traditionally pupils from the areas referred to by the Deputy attend Post Primary Schools in the surrounding areas of Cork City and County.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the provision of therapy services including speech and language therapy is a matter for the Health Services Executive (HSE) and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. The matter of early intervention supports relating to speech and language therapy for the school in question is specifically a matter for the HSE.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions are on-going in relation to the acquisition of a site for the development of education style campus for the area to which the Deputy refers. It is intended to meet the needs of the school in question within this arrangement. Once a suitable site has been acquired, progress on its development will be considered under the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's Annual Output Statement for 2007 has not been published on the Department's website to date but was provided to the Education and Science Committee of the Dáil for its consideration of the Estimates. My Department has begun the process of drafting a new Output Statement and it is envisaged that the 2008 Output Statement will be placed on the Department's website.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Gaelscoil Brú na Páirce, Cill Áirne officially known as Gaelscoil Faithleann is recognised as a Primary School by my Department. The scheme for the Summer course programme for Primary teachers is administered by Drumcondra Education Centre on behalf of my Department. The main objective of summer courses is the development of teachers' pedagogic and management skills, in the context of the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 489 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...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As pointed out to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question 461 on the 16th of October last, the Department works in partnership with Fingal County Council under the Fingal School Model Agreement to acquire sites for educational provision in the Dublin 15 area. A site under this Model is being actively pursued to provide additional post primary places in the Castleknock area. The...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (23 Oct 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 432, 435 and 436 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Local Authorities are obliged by statute to refer draft local area development plans to the Department for observation and comment so that lands can be zoned and reserved for future education use. This process has resulted in numerous sites being reserved for education purposes particularly in the rapidly...