Results 13,961-13,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education have been working very hard to ensure that all autistic children have access to an education that is appropriate to their own individual needs. Whereas a few years ago, most parents of children with autism had no choice but to send them to a special school, now they have three distinct choices available to them. Their...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Home tuition funding cannot be provided indefinitely in respect of children who have school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education have been working very hard to ensure that all autistic children have access to an education that is appropriate to their own individual needs. Whereas a few years ago, most parents of children with autism had no choice but to send them to a special school, now they have three distinct choices available to them. Their...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government detailed the introduction of a new syllabus for Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science. Work on the revised syllabus for Agricultural Science has largely been completed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). However, the assessment arrangements for the revised syllabus have not yet been finalised as they will have to be considered in the...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted. In view of this, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The process of securing a Patron for the new school referred to by the Deputy is ongoing within my Department. When the matter has been concluded, I will make an announcement at that time.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The development of a building project for the school referred to by the Deputy from initial design stage through to construction phase, as with all large scale building projects, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently approved grant-aid for the provision of temporary accommodation at the school in question. The school has been informed of the decision.

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, the vast majority of support for child-care, including pre-school education, is not provided by my Department, but is now provided by the Office of the Minister for Children under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 which is the successor programme to the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme. There are no plans for the pre-school sector to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 405 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputies that my Department has written recently to the school in question approving grant-aid for the provision of temporary accommodation to meet its needs.

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial services in primary and secondary schools under two separate schemes. One is the 1978 scheme for the employment of school secretaries in primary and secondary schools under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. The 1978 scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are being created. The 1978...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 400 together. The Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education have been working very hard to ensure that all autistic children have access to an education that is appropriate to their own individual needs. Whereas a few years ago, most parents of children with autism had no choice but to send them to a special school, now...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The appointment of a Design Team for the project referred to by the deputy has not yet been completed. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's policy on educating children with autism is an inclusive policy of all autism specific interventions including TEACCH, PECs and Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) to ensure that each child can draw down from a number of different approaches to ensure the optimum individualised educational programme for him/her. It draws on the strengths of teachers who are trained in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The architectural planning of the building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage. The progression of all major projects to tender and construction, including this project, will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Departments Multi Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened in temporary accommodation last September pending the refurbishment of accommodation which will act as a permanent home for the school. Costings have been submitted for the refurbishment works in question. Contact will be made with the school authority via the V.E.C., which is the client for the project, as soon as a decision has been taken on...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware 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, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The priority rating of each individual building project is established in accordance with the Criteria for Prioritising Large Scale Projects (Primary and Post-primary) which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie. In accordance with the criteria set down, each project is allocated to an appropriate priority band rating on the basis of objective criteria. A review of the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — 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. The closing date for receipt of grant applications...