Results 14,361-14,380 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: 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 preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional teachers, special needs assistants and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy has made a request to my Department for permission to dispose of an old school building by way of public sale. The Deputy may wish to note that normally when a request is received to release my interest in a property, one of the first of several actions required is for my officials to request from the local school Inspector a...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: 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, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that an application for a PE Hall of 630m2 at the school referred to by the Deputy has reached the advanced stages of architectural planning. The project is being co-funded by my own Department and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that an application has been received from the school to which he refers for Emergency Works. The application is currently being considered and the school will be advised of the outcome shortly. This school have also made an application for large scale capital funding. This application is in the early stages of architectural planning. The progression of all...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The two Devolved Schemes, the Small Schools Scheme and the Permanent Accommodation Scheme, were originally introduced on a pilot basis for 38 schools in 2003 and due to the positive feedback from schools were extended to cover 699 more schools between the years of 2004 and 2007. The purpose of these devolved schemes is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake building...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level for 2009 and onwards. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The development of the proposed building project for the school in question is at an early stage. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including the application in question, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to primary school pupil teacher ratios is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The details for the current school year (2007/2008) are currently being compiled by my Department and the information requested is not yet available. Pupil Teacher Ratios in respect of all schools is currently only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Following the introduction by the Department of Finance in 2004 of five year funding envelopes I decided that my Department's system of publishing the entire building programme in one single announcement was less than satisfactory. This was based on the experience in 2004, whereby a record number of projects were selected for proceeding to tender and construction at a single point in time....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In the education sector, vetting is currently done in respect of newly appointed teachers via the registration process with the Teaching Council. It is also done for prospective employees for posts that involve working with children such as Special Needs assistants (SNAs), bus drivers, bus escorts to children with special needs, caretakers and other ancillary staff. As the expansion of...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In general the arrangements for supporting secretarial and caretaking services in schools mirror those for providing support funding to the schools concerned. Primary and secondary schools are funded through capitation grants and likewise secretarial and caretaking services are funded by grants that are related to the number of pupils in the school. It is the case that a small number of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas including the area to which the Deputy refers. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Middletown Centre for Autism project is a joint initiative between the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and the Department of Education and Science aimed at supporting the promotion of excellence in the development and harmonisation of education and allied services to children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders. It has been agreed that the following four key...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas including the area to which the Deputy refers. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school...

Written Answers — Student Accommodation: Student Accommodation (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware that USI have called for the establishment of a taskforce on student accommodation. When USI first made this call last year, my Department explained to them that it would be primarily a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government which has responsibility for housing policy. While I would obviously be concerned if accommodation difficulties are...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has put in place a range of teaching and care supports for pupils with special educational needs, including those with Down's syndrome. Pupils with Down's syndrome may receive additional teaching support in school from either the additional supports provided to schools under general allocation system for children with high incidence special needs or through an allocation of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Some 73 cases involving children with special educational needs, in which my Department is a named party, are ongoing. Cases are taken on behalf of children with special educational needs for a variety of reasons including seeking an educational intervention which differs to that on offer in State schools. Since the introduction of the Education Act 1998 there is now a statutory mechanism...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that a meeting with the family in question is due to take place shortly to discuss the person's special educational needs.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An application is with my Department for the provision of appropriate accommodation in a suitable location for the centre in question. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including the project in question, will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and...