Results 12,141-12,160 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, I secured approval for a 10% increase in the standard rate of student grant for the academic year 2007/08. This very substantial increase, at twice the rate of inflation, will assist in meeting the costs associated with attending higher and further education for over 56,000 students who receive a maintenance grant. This has resulted in an increase in the maximum...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested relating to capital grants paid to schools is not available in the format sought by the Deputy. The Deputy's reference to school support programmes lacks specificity with the result that the information cannot be provided. In recent years, it has been the practice of my Department to annually publish details of all projects that are included in the School Building...

Written Answers — School Catchment Areas: School Catchment Areas (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. The intention was that these...

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

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of PE teachers employed in second level schools is not readily available within my Department. Teacher allocations for second level schools are approved by my Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules based on recognised pupil enrolments on the 30th of September of the preceding school year....

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

Mary Hanafin: In determining the pupil teacher ratio at primary level, all teachers in primary schools are counted, not only those employed as mainstream classroom teachers, but also those working in areas such as resource teaching and language support. In determining class size in primary schools, class teachers are counted. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all primary schools is currently only...

Written Answers — National Monitoring Programme: National Monitoring Programme (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is envisaged that the monitoring will be carried out by the ERC based on the model currently used to conduct national surveys of reading and mathematics in primary schools. The assessments will be targeted at A nationally representative sample of schools A representative sample of schools in the School Support Programme of DEIS A representative sample of Irish medium schools It is planned...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that I announced a 10% increase in the standard rate of student grant with effect from the 2007/08 academic year. This means an increase in the maximum rate of ordinary grant to €3,420 for 2007/08. Students who qualify for a maintenance grant will also have the student service charge paid on their behalf. In addition, over 12,500 students in receipt of the...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department acknowledges the need for a solution to the accommodation difficulties at the school to which the Deputy refers and is committed to working to achieve a satisfactory solution as soon as possible. In this regard, the Department is actively pursuing a number of options. One of these options is the building of a permanent structure on the school's current site. A number of issues...

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

Mary Hanafin: In order to meet the language needs of students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible non-English speaking students...

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

Mary Hanafin: The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in any given area entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. Liaison with existing schools is also an important part of the process, as the school...

Written Answers — Second Level Education: Second Level Education (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the study to which the Deputy refers. While I respect the right of parents to make choices for their children's education, I do not believe that it should be necessary to pay for grinds. My focus is on supporting schools to provide a high quality of education that enables students to reach their full potential.

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

Mary Hanafin: I presume that the Deputy is referring to the issue of tuition fees for students studying in Northern Ireland. Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved undergraduate third-level courses in the State. There are no plans to extend this initiative to cover third level institutions in Northern Ireland. Under...

Written Answers — Privately-Owned Schools: Privately-Owned Schools (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The type of Lease involved, in the case of State investment in privately-owned schools, is not a demise of property but rather it puts a charge on the property. This charge, on the Department's behalf, is registered as a burden on the relevant folio and requires to be legally surrendered by the Department should the owner of the property wish to sell. This charge does not permit the...

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

Mary Hanafin: Quality assurance in higher education is governed by statutory provision and is based upon expert peer review, of both Irish and international experts, which must include representation from students, business and other stakeholders. The Irish system of higher education quality assurance system itself has been reviewed and I would refer the Deputy to the independent report of the European...

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

Mary Hanafin: The specific data requested by the Deputy is not available to my Department. The emphasis placed by this Government on tackling educational disadvantage in recent years is absolutely unprecedented. Since 2003, we have increased investment in educational inclusion measures at all levels by no less than 60%, to €730 million in 2007. We are determined to ensure that young people from...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (13 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of identifying schools for...

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

Mary Hanafin: The information in the format requested by the Deputy is not readily available. 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 352 together. The process of increasing the number of Irish/EU places in medicine in Ireland commenced in 2006 following the acceptance by the Government of the report entitled "Medical Education in Ireland A new Direction" published jointly by the Department of Health and Children and my Department. The report (the Fottrell Report) called for an...

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

Mary Hanafin: I can inform the Deputy that since NEPS was established, we have trebled the number of psychologists in the service. Notwithstanding this and as I have previously announced my Department is committed to increasing psychological service staffing further, so that by 2009 there will be 200 NEPS psychologists. To this end I can further inform the Deputy that my Department has been working, in...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department has carried out an extensive study on educational requirements for Swords for the medium to long term. This study has been formalised and included in the "Draft Area Development Plan for North Dublin, East Meath and South Louth" which was published in January 2007. The Commission on School Accommodation has completed a public consultation process on foot of this draft Plan...