Results 12,561-12,580 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The student charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services, which are not covered by the free tuition fees scheme. The student charge is €825 for the 2007/2008 academic year. All students who are eligible for means tested student support have the student charge paid on their behalf by the Local Authorities or the...

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

Mary Hanafin: I wish to inform the Deputy that in addition to a number of extension/ refurbishment projects there was one new 8 classroom school built in Wexford in the past three years. There are four major extension/refurbishment projects currently on site.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that in general, the Board of Management of a school is responsible for acquiring temporary accommodation, including procurement of prefabricated buildings. Accordingly the contract is between a school's Board of Management and a supplying contractor and thus the information requested in the format sought by the Deputy is not readily available.

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

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has applied for large scale capital funding for the provision of ancillary accommodation. This application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the project is being considered in the context of the multi-annual...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Fund for Students with Disabilities has witnessed exponential growth over the last few academic years. The Fund continues to grow by approximately 20% per annum. Between 2003-4 and 2006-7 there has been an increase of 63% in the number of applications. Most categories of disabilities are increasing as the volume increases year on year, however, applications from people with specific...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I would refer the House to my reply to Question No. 300 of 21 November 2007. The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second — chance education initiative, which is funded by my Department, for unemployed persons who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for at least six months. It is operated through the Vocational Education...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Transition Year Programme (TYP) is part of the revised Senior Cycle structure. My Department provides a special per capita grant to schools in the free education scheme offering TYP. This is in respect of additional teaching hours required to allow for co-ordination and planning and for any other expenses related exclusively to the TYP. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the TYP grant...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are 33 vocational education committees (VECs) established under the Vocational Education Acts, 1930 to 2001. Each VEC is a statutory body with its own corporate status. The functions and responsibilities of the VECs, including their requirements to report to the Minister for Education and Science, are defined in the governing legislation. VECs provide a broad range of educational...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware of the current and planned housing developments for the area to which the Deputy refers and that additional accommodation will be required at the school in question to cater for a consequential increase in enrolments. As the Deputy will know, all applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria and assigned a Band...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: St. Patrick's College, Mary Immaculate College, Froebel College and Coláiste Mhuire Marino were established as denominational training colleges. However, they each now have links with third level colleges (DCU, UL and TCD respectively) and accept students of all faiths and none. Religious affiliation is not used by any of the Catholic Colleges of Education as an entry requirement. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works, which acts generally on behalf of this Department on the acquisitions of sites for schools, has been requested to source a site for this school. A suitable site has been identified and its acquisition is at the conveyancing stages. Agreement to enter a contract for the purchase of the site will be considered in the context of my Department's School Building and...

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

Mary Hanafin: The request for recognition to which the Deputy refers is associated with an application from the organisation in question for inclusion in the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) pilot scheme which is funded by my Department. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children including those with special needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has arrangements in place with external organisations for the safe and secure disposal of redundant information technology equipment. These organisations provide written confirmation that the disposal has been completed in a manner that renders all stored information unretrievable.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The following is the information sought by the Deputy in relation to Press Officers employed in my Department or by bodies under the aegis of my Department in 2007 and 2002: 2007: Department of Education and Science — 1 Press officer 2002: Department of Education and Science — 1 Press officer Bodies under the Aegis of my Department 2007: National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) — 1 Press...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department and will be sent to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Energy saving lighting (using passive infra red fittings) has been installed in my Department's Athlone offices. The OPW are to investigate the suitability of using these fittings in the Dublin and Tullamore offices. Long life CFL lamps (energy efficient lighting) are used throughout my Department's offices where light fittings are suitable. In addition my Department has recently re-tendered...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school on a Greenfield site has been received from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed and the long-term projected staffing figure on which accommodation needs will be based has been determined and notified to the school authorities. The Property management Section of the Office of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation system was introduced in May 2005, under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The general allocation system means that rather than schools having to make individual...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Grangegorman Development Agency has been informed by my Department that a site for a sixteen classroom school is required for the school in question and that provision should be made for this in the overall strategic plan for the development of the Grangegorman site. The proposed phasing for the delivery of the various aspects of the development will be identified by the Grangegorman...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware that the current lease of the premises to which the Deputy refers is due to expire in June 2008. In this context, the Department is actively pursuing a number of options to accommodate the school elsewhere. It is understood that the school itself has a proposal and the Department is awaiting details of this. In the longer term, the Department has requested that a...