Results 1,761-1,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy made a joint application for funding under the summer works scheme 2005. This application did not comply with the terms and conditions of the scheme in that it was not accompanied by the necessary consultant's report. The application was unsuccessful for this reason. My Department will be in contact with the schools shortly in relation to the appeal...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The scope of the works referred to by the Deputy is appropriate for consideration under the summer works scheme. The schools in question made a joint application for funding under the summer works scheme for 2005. This application did not comply with the terms and conditions of the scheme in that it was not accompanied by the necessary consultant's report. The application was unsuccessful for...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new policy framework for tackling educational disadvantage that I will be publishing shortly will provide for a new standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and will put in place a new integrated programme of supports that will bring together, and build upon existing policy interventions and initiatives for schools and school communities with a concentrated level of...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department are re-assessing the accommodation needs of the school referred to by the Deputy in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised following consultation with the education partners. Until a final decision is taken on this matter, the property management section of the OPW, which acquires sites on behalf of my...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school authority in question, which is the client for this project, has as part of the building contract erected fencing to prevent children accessing the building site at the school. They are not aware of any further safety issues involving the fencing. If the Deputy wishes to provide specific information on this matter I will arrange for it to be brought to the attention of the school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that an application for resource teaching hours for the first named pupil was considered by my Department. The school in question was advised that the pupil's special educational needs, SEN, appear to be within the high incidence disability range and it would be expected that these needs can be met from within the current resource-learning support teaching allocation available...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that ISL has formal recognition in the Education Act 1998. Under the Act, it is a function of the Minister for Education and Science to ensure, subject to the provisions of the Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are in the region of 3,000 vehicles in use each day providing school transport services on behalf of my Department under the school transport scheme. This fleet is made up of Bus Éireann school buses and contractors' vehicles. The bulk of this fleet comprises of minibuses provided by contractors, while most large buses are provided by Bus Éireann. Since 1999, Bus Éireann has...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. I have no plans to introduce charges for pupils attending primary schools or to increase charges for pupils attending post-primary schools.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and seven mainstream class teachers...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are no plans to provide legislation on Irish sign language, ISL. ISL has formal recognition in the Education Act 1998. Under the Act, it is a function of the Minister for Education and Science to ensure, subject to the provisions of the Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no record of any proposals from the HSE in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy. Any proposals the HSE wishes to submit to my Department will be considered.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes in respect of students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions and one maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate courses in approved PLC centres. These are the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees scholarship scheme, the...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides parents with an appeal process to the Secretary General of my Department where a board of management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the board refuses enrolment of a student. In the case of a school established or maintained by a vocational education committee, an appeal against the decision of the board of management of the school is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, or SENOs, have been recruited throughout the country and will provide points of contact for...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The property management unit of the OPW, which acts on behalf of my Department on site acquisitions generally, is exploring the possibility of acquiring a site for the provision of a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy. When a site has been procured, the project will be progressed in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005 to 2009.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information the Deputy requested is not readily available in my Department. If the Deputy would like information on a particular school, I will be happy to provide it.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As part of a review of all projects for the 2005 capital programme, the application for capital funding from the school authority to which the Deputy refers was assessed against the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale building projects which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. Under the review, all projects were assigned a band rating and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy should note that significant improvements have been made in this area in recent years. The average class size at primary level is now 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil-teacher ratio, which includes all the teachers in the school, including resource teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in 2003-04. More than 4,000 additional teachers have...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been appointed throughout the country. Resource applications for pupils with disabilities from all schools, including schools in Clondalkin and Lucan, are being processed by SENOs. Since 1 January 2005, decisions have issued to schools in accordance with circulars SP/Ed 01/05 and PPT 01/05, which refer to the transfer of...