Results 13,981-14,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Costs of archaeological surveys/works may arise in the case of specific building projects being progressed under my Department's School Building and Modernisation Programme. The costs involved are not recorded in my Department on a global basis; however, if the Deputy has a specific case in mind I will arrange to have the details forwarded to him.

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The rates of pay applicable to home tuition tutors are based on the qualifications of the tutor. Therefore tutors fall into 2 categories for payment purposes i.e. primary and secondary in accordance with the appropriate part time rates of payment. A subdivision within the categories reflects whether the tutor is qualified or unqualified. Early intervention tutors are primary teachers and...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 416 together. The Department has published the staffing schedule for the 2008/2009 school year. Given the increased enrolments in primary schools generally, the application of the schedule is likely to result in an increase of over 600 mainstream teaching posts for primary schools in the next school year. Approximately 120 posts will be lost in schools...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department is working closely with the Teaching Council to ensure that the Council is in a position to fully discharge the relevant functions of the Teaching Council Act in advance of the commencement of the corresponding sections of the Act. The remaining sections, including Section 30, will be commenced when it is feasible to do so. My Department continually monitors the situation in...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the general allocation model was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special educational needs. When the model commenced, a commitment was given to carry out a review after three years of operation. It is intended that...

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

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department's Circular 07/03, Appointments to Posts of Responsibility, outlines that due to the pivotal role of a Principal teacher in the overall management of a school, a Principal shall not undertake the duties of any type of a special education post. I have no plans to review this arrangement.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Modernisation and Policy Unit of my Department (formerly part of the Planning and Building Unit) has received around 165 applications for funding under the Contingency (Emergency) Works Fund since the beginning of January 2008. Grants from this fund are available for very urgent unforeseen works, primarily of a major health and safety nature, to schools that are in most need of resources...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of the Department and was supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the application to which the question refers has been approved and a letter has issued to the school authorities in the matter.

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

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at Stage 3 (developed sketch scheme) of the architectural planning process. The progression of all large scale projects, including this project, from the initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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

Mary Hanafin: The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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 report of the Action Group on Access to Third...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Department understands that there is sufficient capacity at post primary level in the Naas, Clane and Newbridge areas. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can,...

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

Mary Hanafin: A tender report for the project referred to by the Deputy is currently under examination by my Department. The contract for the project has not yet been awarded. 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...

Written Answers — Colleges Recognition: Colleges Recognition (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is continuing its efforts to press for compliance with legislation in this area and recognises that the existence of such organisations is contrary to the interests of Ireland's higher education institutions, which have sought to preserve the high international standing and quality reputation of higher education in Ireland. In addition to this, the Department has had...

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

Mary Hanafin: Information and Communication Technology is not a discrete subject for the junior or leaving certificates. The approach taken by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been to pursue the development of students' competence in ICT via the inclusion of ICT as a tool to be used in all subjects. In this context, the new syllabuses for the Leaving Certificate subjects of Design and...

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

Mary Hanafin: Further to my reply to Question no. 453 on 4th March last I wish to inform the Deputy that all post-primary schools recognised by my Department would have dedicated laboratories for the teaching of science subjects. The number of laboratories in a school would depend on the size of the school, uptake of science subjects etc. My Department does not maintain detailed records of each school's...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As referred to in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 452 of 4 March 2008, the Teaching Council's database of registered teachers will be able to provide a range of data on the numbers of registered teachers in various disciplines and on their qualifications including the type of information sought by the deputy. In light of this new resource I do not consider it necessary to re-examine...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to confirm that I have approved these new funding arrangements that were communicated in the letter referred to by the Deputy. As stated in that letter, the new arrangements involve funding to the recognised management body for schools under a particular patronage as distinct from additional funding to individual school boards of management. This additional funding is available...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Costings are not maintained exactly in the format requested by the Deputy. The following table contains a breakdown for those sectors for which records are maintained. It is based on the 2007 provisional outturn for Vote 26: Education & Science and the total number of whole-time equivalent students in each sector. Sector Programme Cost No. of Students (WTE) Unit Cost â'¬bn â'¬...