Results 13,441-13,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy made an application for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation. An assessment of projected enrolment trends, demographic trends and housing developments in the area was carried out in order to determine the long term accommodation needs of the school. This has been finalised and notified to the school. The proposed building...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 to 359, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 provides for an educational assessment for children with special educational needs and the entitlement to an education plan to meet those needs. As the Deputy will also be aware, many sections of the Act have already...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (13 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The DEIS plan also states that as well as provision being made for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, a measure of financial support will also continue to be provided for other primary schools where the level of disadvantage is more dispersed....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Department of Finance guidelines for the appraisal and management of capital expenditure proposals in the public sector, the recruitment of full-time specialists as referred to by the Deputy is only required in certain circumstances. To date it has not been necessary to appoint a full-time specialist by way of open recruitment or through secondment from the private...

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department does not have the authority to use compulsory purchase orders in relation to matters arising from site acquisitions. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions generally. In certain circumstances local authorities also acquire sites on behalf of my Department. The use of compulsory purchase...

Written Answers — North-South Co-operation: North-South Co-operation (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: This is an important area for North South co-operation in my Department and I look forward to continuing to work closely with my counterparts in Northern Ireland to ensure that the maximum benefit is gained by teachers in Ireland and Northern Ireland through close cooperation and exchange of best practice in the continuing professional development of teachers. In 2000 a Joint Teacher...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three maintenance grant schemes for third level students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education committees' Scholarship Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three maintenance grant schemes for third level students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education committees' Scholarship Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Teaching service given in Northern Ireland is not recognised for the purpose of teachers' superannuation awards in this State as there is no agreement at present between the jurisdictions on the transferability of pension entitlements. However, as the Deputy may be aware, at an Institutional Format meeting of 30 October 2007 the North/South Ministerial Council considered the issue of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Planning and Building Unit of my Department has no record of an application for emergency funding from the school in question. Should an application be received it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, all applications for large scale capital funding, including the application in question are assessed against published prioritisation criteria and assigned a band rating. This proposed project has been assigned a Band 2.2 rating. Progress on projects will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The allocation of special needs assistant posts warranted in primary and second level schools is reviewed on an annual basis by the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). They are employed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The number of special needs assistants employed in a school may be reduced from full-time to part-time or terminated by way of...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Data in respect of the number of classes broken down by class size and age of pupils are not available. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now in the region of 6,000 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,...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The information is currently being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An application for the Summer Works Scheme 2008 has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department's circular 0043/2007 regarding the Summer Works Scheme 2008 clearly outlines that the appointment of a consultant to prepare a Technical report must be met in full from a school's own resources. Such a report may be of benefit in the event of future applications for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisition, has secured a site for the provision of a new building for the school referred to by the Deputy. The progression of all projects, including the project in question, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at early architectural planning. A stage 2 submission was reviewed by Officials from my Department and some clarification has been requested from the Design Team. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to tender and construction, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled by officials in my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department are in receipt of an application for major capital works from the school to which the Deputy refers. The proposed project will be considered in the context of the Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Communications Masts: Communications Masts (14 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Planning and Building Unit of my Department has not received any correspondence from the school in question concerning the location of telecommunications masts adjacent to the school building. The Deputy will be aware that the drafting of Planning and Development Regulations relating to mobile phone masts is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government....