Results 20,281-20,300 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Boards of Management: Boards of Management (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department continues to work with all the interested parties on the inclusion of parent representatives on boards of management of comprehensive schools. Agreement has been reached on the revised composition of the boards, which have a different composition in each of the sectors — Catholic, Protestant and Jesuit. The revised composition of the boards provides for two parent...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The extension project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 1 rating. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects which did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme, including the school in question. All projects are being assessed against the published prioritisation criteria...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has asked Bus Éireann to clarify some further points arising from its recent report. The Deputy will be advised of the position as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The enrolment of the school referred to by the Deputy on 30 September...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The purchase of a site for the proposed amalgamated post-primary school in Kildare town is currently being actively pursued. I will make a decision in the matter as soon as discussions have been completed. In the meantime my officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects which did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme, including the school in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 3 rating. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects which did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme, including the school referred to by the Deputy. All projects are being assessed against the published...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has given sanction to County Kildare vocational education committee to make the necessary arrangements to secure the site in question. In the meantime, my officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects which did not proceed to construction as part of the 2004 school building programme, including the school referred to by the Deputy. All projects are being assessed...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The status of the new school referred to by the Deputy is a community college and not a community school as inadvertently stated in my reply of 7 October last. I can also confirm that purpose-designed facilities will be provided to accommodate the new school on the site of an existing secondary school. The site is currently being acquired from the trustees of the school in question. I...

Written Answers — Third Level Admissions: Third Level Admissions (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I have not engaged in consultations with organisations or groups to reassess or alter fundamentally the system of selection for third level places on the basis of the leaving certificate points system. As the Deputy will be aware, my predecessor and the Minister for Health and Children established a working group on undergraduate medical education and training to review the organisation and...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, or NCCA, was established as a statutory body in July 2001. Its brief, as stated in the Education Act 1998, is to advise the Minister for Education and Science in matters relating to the curriculum for early childhood education, primary and post-primary schools, and the assessment procedures employed in schools and examinations on subjects...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding site acquisitions generally, is exploring the possibility of acquiring a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. Owing to the commercial sensitivities of site acquisitions, it is not proposed at this stage to identify specific sites to be acquired. However, that information...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. It has a band 2 rating. My officials recently wrote to the school authorities with a revised brief for the project. That was following an examination of the proposal as previously submitted, which was found to be over-elaborate in both design and area and not in compliance with the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The permanent teacher allocation for an individual voluntary secondary school for a particular school year consists of approved ex-quota posts and the posts warranted by the enrolment at the end of the preceding September on the basis of the current pupil-teacher ratio. Vacancies in schools arising from career breaks, approved leave of absence or secondments and concessionary posts, which are...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The functions of institutes of technology are set out in section 5 of the Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992. The functions provide for institutes to enter into arrangements, including participation in limited liability companies, in certain circumstances and under such conditions as the Minister may determine. The Deputy's question alludes to section 37 of the Vocational Educational...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The architectural service for this project was provided by my Department's professional and technical staff. Regular site meetings and site inspections were carried out by a range of technical personnel from my Department during construction. This school was built to a standard Department design that has been successfully used throughout the country over a 15-year period. However, it was...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that, arising from an appeal, the level of home tuition approved for the child in question was recently raised from ten to 20 hours per week. That represents a very significant level of one-to-one support, which will continue to be made available to the child until a school placement commences. The school in which placement has been sought is due to obtain new accommodation in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: A member of my Department's technical staff is currently liaising with the quantity surveyor from this school's design team regarding the contractor's final account. When those discussions have been concluded, my Department's building unit will contact with the contractor's representatives.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers has recently made an application for replacement of a roof under the summer works scheme 2005. All applications for the 2005 scheme will be considered in school planning section of my Department, and it is planned to publish the list of successful applicants in January 2005.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 to 456, inclusive, together. The content of courses delivered in the colleges of education and other teacher preparation institutions is considered by my Department before recognition of the course is awarded. In the case of the AMI three-year, full-time course, the content is not currently deemed to be sufficiently comprehensive to allow for recognition...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (23 Nov 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level in recent years. The ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in the 2003-04 school year. Arising from these improvements, class sizes have reduced in the same period. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, class sizes will be reduced further. This, however, can...