Results 12,121-12,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Leaders' Questions (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Tá Gaeltacht ina dáilcheantair.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will, I'm sure, be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA and have an assessment carried...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The reply of 2 October 2007 dealt with the issue of implementation of Relationships and Sexuality Education in second level schools. The content of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for primary schools was developed as part of the revised Primary Curriculum which has been implemented on a phased basis over the period 1999 to 2007. Social Personal and Health...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been prioritising developing areas for investment under the School Building and Modernisation Programme. During the period of the last National Development Plan 2000-2006, record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems allowed a major acceleration of the school building programme. Over €2.6 billion was invested in...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is notified annually of the details of all pupils attending post primary schools. This information is provided by each school via the October return and is used for a number of purposes, including the production of statistics on the retention of pupils in the post primary school system. In addition to this the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, places an obligation on schools to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 3,761 more teachers were employed in primary schools in September 2007 than in September 2004. The allocation of these additional posts improved the pupil teacher ratio from 17.44 in the 2003/2004 school year to 16.41 in the 2006/2007 school year. The additional posts allocated at primary level have been used for improvements to the staffing schedule to ensure that all primary schools are...

Written Answers — Library Service: Library Service (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: At primary level it is a matter for each Local Authority to provide a library service for schools in its area. While my Department has no involvement in the actual operation of this service, it does make a grant available to each Local Authority on an annual basis to enable Local Authority Librarians select, purchase, and deliver books to the primary schools in its area. The grant is based on...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Historically, the church authorities (mainly Catholic and Church of Ireland) acted as patrons or sponsors of primary schools by initiating the process of establishing a new school when one was needed to serve a specific geographic area. This model of school provision has been incrementally evolving to reflect changes in demand and in the expectations of society, notably the demand for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 68 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been prioritising developing areas for investment under the School Building and Modernisation Programme. During the period of the last National Development Plan 2000-2006, record levels of investment and the streamlining of delivery systems allowed a major acceleration of the school building...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 was enacted in July 2004. The Special Education Appeals Board (SEAB) was established under section 36 of the EPSEN Act to hear and determine appeals pursuant to a number of sections of the Act. Members of the inaugural appeals board have been appointed and are...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The annual total of births in Ireland has been increasing since 1995. As a direct consequence of this, enrolments at Primary level have been increasing since 2001/02 and are projected to continue increasing for the foreseeable future. Inward migration is another factor pushing up enrolment at both primary and second level in recent years together with an underlying increase in participation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware from my previous reply that this €3 billion investment delivered over 9,000 projects in schools throughout the country over the last 7 years. This investment has significantly increased capacity and transformed the standard of accommodation in many schools. Given the scale of investment and the number of projects involved it would require an inordinate amount of...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The setting of fees for non-EU nationals attending medical schools, and other higher education courses, is a matter for the institutions themselves. I understand that, at present, the annual fees are approximately €28,000 in the public higher education institutions. The Government supports the internationalisation of Irish education services and, in 2004, accepted the Report of the...

Written Answers — Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile: Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Tá iarrtha ar Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí, a fheidhmíonn thar ceann mo Roinne go ginearálta maidir le fáil suíomhanna do scoileanna, suíomh a aimsiú do Scoil Náisiúnta Ghort a' Choirce. Tá suíomh oiriúnach tar éis a shainaitheanta agus tá fáil an tsuímh ag staid tíolactha. Machnófar comhaontas chun dul isteach i gconradh do cheannach an tsuímh seo i gcomhthéacs bhuiséad...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information on class sizes for the 2007/08 school year is currently being compiled in my Department. 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...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I have provided an increase in funding of €7.4 million, or 21% on 2006, this year for Adult Literacy and Community Education. It will bring expenditure on adult Literacy up to €30 million this year, and will allow for the provision of 3,000 additional literacy places, as set out in the Programme for Government. Adult Literacy and Basic Education are my top priority in Adult Education....

Written Answers — Student Support Services: Student Support Services (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the third level institutions are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs. The Universities and Institutes of Technology receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is allocated internally. Third level Institutions have a Student...

Written Answers — Student Visas: Student Visas (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Existing education policy is that students up to 18 years of age are admitted to primary and second level schools irrespective of their nationality or status. Indeed, under the Equal Status Act, schools may not discriminate in admission to schools except where this is necessary to maintain the religions values or ethos of the school. While the Act does provide for differential treatment in...

Written Answers — Health and Safety Issues: Health and Safety Issues (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The question of whether children walk to and from school or are driven as part of a car pooling initiative is a matter for decision by their parents. However, it is clear that walking to school can make an important contribution to children's health and to developing their sense of road safety as well as decreasing traffic congestion around school routes. Many local authorities have developed...

Written Answers — Halla Spóirt: Halla Spóirt (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Tá tionscadal tograithe an Halla Corpoideachais ag Staid 4/5 (dearadh mionsonrach/Bille Cainníochtaí). Chuir an Fhoireann Deartha freagra faoi bhráid ar roinnt fiafraithe faoin dtionscadal a chuir an Roinn le déanaí ach measadh an freagra a bheith neamhiomlán. Tá doiciméadú leasaithe iarrtha ag mo Roinnse agus tabharfar a thuilleadh aire don tionscadal seo tar éis don doiciméadú...