Results 1,821-1,840 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In December 1999 the Government decided that the Department of Education and Science would purchase 65 acres of the 73-acre Grangegorman site from the Eastern Health Board, and that the site would house the new Dublin Institute of Technology community campus. An interdepartmental working group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, was set up in May 2001 to examine the project. In July...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the school concerned has provided specific advice to the parent concerning a possible pre-school placement. It is open to the parent to contact the National Council for Special Education through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, who now has responsibility for school placements. Contact details for the relevant SENO are available on my Department's website,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is already supporting the education of individual students with autism in various second level schools throughout the country. Discussions are taking place with the management authorities of a small number of schools with a view to establishing second level provision for groups of children with autism who are now coming to a transition stage and are about to move from primary to...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together. My Department provides funding to VECs to assist towards the child care expenses of participants in VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller training programmes. The funds assist direct provision of crèche facilities in centres or in rented premises, the purchase of places in existing community or commercial crèches or the payment of...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the current situation is that any institution may apply for university status under the provisions of the University Act 1997. With regard to the reforms proposed for the higher education sector in the OECD Review of Higher Education, the Government has approved the broad thrust of reforms contained therein, while noting the ongoing process of extensive consultation...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The new policy framework that I will publish shortly is the result of a full review of the measures that have been put in place to support pupils from disadvantaged areas over the last two decades. Apart from the additional investment under the new policy framework, resources and supports will continue on the existing basis for the next school year for schools involved in current schemes and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupil or pupils involved and having regard to a range of factors including the overall resources available to the school....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The file regarding the person named by the Deputy is currently in my Department's offsite archives. On its retrieval, my Department will write directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are no plans to provide legislation in the context of Irish sign language, ISL, at present. 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, including a person...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The specific information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. There are 108 special schools nationally, employing in the region of 1,000 teachers at an annual salary cost of approximately €45 million. Other resources provided include special needs assistants, enhanced capitation grants, funding for assistive technology, capital grants etc. The level of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The cost of introducing and supporting a new programme varies depending on the programme, the level of change involved and the degree of training and support necessary, the number of students and teachers who will be affected by the change, and whether additional equipment or resource grants are necessary for the programme. In addition, the level of support needed will decline after the...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting System: Garda Vetting System (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A cross-governmental working group was established to put forward proposals for reform of vetting by the central vetting unit run by the Garda Síochána. Among its recommendations was the proposal that the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children explore the possibility of developing an employment history register, similar to the PECS system in Northern Ireland. An...

Written Answers — PLC Programme: PLC Programme (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The McIvor report on the post-leaving certificate review was commissioned by my Department to examine the sector and make recommendations regarding the organisational support, development and technical and administrative structures and resources required in schools and colleges with large scale post-leaving certificate, PLC, provision, having regard to good practices in related areas across...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 236 together. Allocations for the student support schemes are on the basis of the financial year and, therefore, make provision for parts of two academic years. The Department allocation in 2005 for the four student support schemes is €208.9 million. The outturn of expenditure in 2004 for the schemes was €202.9 million. Actual expenditure for the...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The most recent finalised data collected by my Department on participation in third level education — 2003-2004 — indicates that there are currently 143,271 full-time, undergraduate and postgraduate, and 34,168 part-time students enrolled in all third level institutions, aided and non-aided, in the State. The data also indicates that 10% of full-time new entrants, that is 4,216 out of...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Operational responsibility for the junior and leaving certificate examinations, including the collection of fees, is a matter for the State Examinations Commission. I have been advised that €7,396,293.08 was received in respect of exam fees for 2004. and the expected revenue towards the cost of the certificate examinations in 2005 is estimated as being of the order of €7.8 million. This...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding towards the cost of caretaking services in primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1979 scheme for the employment of full-time caretakers in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. There are currently 196 caretakers employed in primary schools under this scheme at an annual cost of approximately €5.5...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: At present, there are 128 psychologists attached to the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, of my Department plus two on career break. Of the 128, some 116 are directly involved in providing the service to schools and 12 carry out management and other duties. The total cost of providing the NEPS service in 2004 was €13.5 million, including the cost of the scheme for the...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The funding arrangements for primary and voluntary secondary schools in respect of their operating costs are structured mainly on the basis of capitation grants. The following table shows the level of such grants for the period 1994 to 2005. Year Primary Schools €000 Voluntary Secondary Schools €000 1994 31,366 48,512 1995 33,967 52,708 1996 38,280...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (21 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Since its formal launch in December 2003, the aim of the National Educational Welfare Board has been to provide a service to the most disadvantaged areas and most at-risk groups. Five regional teams have been established with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and staff have been deployed in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's RAPID...