Results 12,061-12,080 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for the establishment of special classes for autism and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. In excess of 270 autism-specific classes at primary and post primary...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department monitors enrolments in the Lucan area on an on-going basis to ensure adequate capacity and will provide extra accommodation if needed. At post primary level, recent building projects have increased capacity to 3,000 pupil places which will cater for not only the current enrolments of 2,476 pupils but provide additional capacity of over 500 places. In addition, a building...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department provides resources to State recognised schools to ensure that children have access to an appropriate education with additional supports as necessary. These resources are provided through the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). The State recognises the rights of parents and...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has applied for funding for these works under the Summer Works Scheme 2008. The closing date for the Summer Works Scheme 2008 was 28th September 2007. Decisions on the Scheme will be made later in the year.
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Junior Certificate syllabus in English does not prescribe specific texts. Teachers are free to choose their own texts and materials to achieve the overall objectives of the programme, and are expected to choose from a wide range of literary genre and other print and media material. Lists appropriate to each year are set out in the Teacher Guidelines for English, but these are intended...
- Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second chance education initiative for unemployed persons, who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for at least six months, which is funded by my Department. It is operated through the Vocational Education Committees. The aims of the Scheme are to give unemployed people education and training...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 to 141, inclusive, together. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I am given to understand that the Tuam Diocesan Panel is now clear and all schools in the Diocese are free to fill their permanent vacancies.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: 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 Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is...
- Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 to 145, inclusive, together. An official of my Department contacted the Chief Executive Officer of the body referred to by the Deputy. My Department is satisfied, based on this contact, that a breach of the Data Protection Acts has not occurred. However, if the Deputy has any specific information or concerns in this regard I would urge him to make direct...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The tender report for the school referred to by the Deputy is under examination in my Department at present. The school's Board of Management will be kept advised of developments when the examination is complete.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school in question will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.
- Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (8 Nov 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 the 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...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: My Department estimates that there are in the region of 28,000 students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish. In order to meet their language needs, my Department in May 2007 issued a circular, reference 0053/2007, to the managerial authorities of all schools â both primary and post primary â to assist them in providing an inclusive school environment to meet the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Policies: Departmental Policies (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has been active for a number of years in promoting anti-racism and interculturalism in schools. A range of actions are in place to promote anti-racism and support the participation of newcomer students and Travellers in education. These include information for schools on the integration of newcomer students and Travellers extra resources for schools to support the needs of...
- Written Answers — Intercultural Education: Intercultural Education (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The majority of new primary schools that have opened in recent years have been multi-denominational in ethos. My Department has received 38 notices of intention to open new schools next year â of which only 7 are for schools with a Catholic ethos. All of these schools are being assessed through a process that involves public consultation. A new model of primary school patronage is also...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 156 together. Integrate Ireland Language and Training, (IILT) was established in 2001. It's remit includes responsibility for the provision of support to teachers of ESL in primary and second-level schools. The main areas of work of IILT are: The preparation and provision of scaled curricula The preparation and provision of teaching and learning...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: In order to ensure that children whose first language is not English can succeed at school, my Department allocates additional teaching support or portions of teacher posts to schools. The level of extra teaching support provided to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students enrolled and the associated assessed levels of pupils' language proficiency....
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority â 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. Under the prescribed terms and conditions of my...
- Early School Leavers. (13 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The emphasis placed by Government on tackling educational disadvantage in recent years is unprecedented. Since 2003, we have increased investment in educational inclusion measures at all levels by no less than 60%, spending â¬730 million in 2007. We are determined to ensure that young people from disadvantaged areas get the support they need to encourage them to finish school. To this...
- Early School Leavers. (13 Nov 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is referring to the census figures but these figures do not agree with the Department's estimate of participation rates for 15 year olds.