Results 20,481-20,500 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that my Department has established a team to review SNA support in mainstream national schools generally. The team recently commenced its task and will assess the levels and deployment of such support to ensure that the needs of children are being met in the context of new applications for resources for the school. I am endeavouring to ensure that the review and the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

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 pupils involved and the nature and level of support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service. The...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Second level pupils with dyslexia are normally integrated into ordinary classes. In such cases they may receive additional tutorial support from the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teachers. My Department also allocates additional teaching support to second level schools and vocational education committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Applications for...

Written Answers — Education Policy: Education Policy (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is aware of the recommendations for the education sector contained in the CORI justice commission's Policy Briefing on Budget Choices. These recommendations will be considered by my Department in the context of the Estimates process for 2005.

Special Educational Needs: Motion. (19 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "commends the Government for the significant additional resources made available for the education of pupils with special educational needs; and welcomes the legislative and administrative measures being taken by the Government to improve the framework within which services are delivered to pupils...

Seanad: Schools Amalgamation. (13 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for your welcome and kind comments. I also thank Senator Kitt for raising this issue, one of the schools being his alma mater, and Senator Ulick Burke for his comments. Senator Burke is correct that significant change is involved in regard to education structure, demographics and needs among trustees of the schools, which is not only significant for the education...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (13 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Senators Daly and Dooley for raising this issue and for their kind comments. Scoil Seanain Naofa, Clonlara, County Clare, has an enrolment of 301 pupils so I am delighted to hear there were 400 parents at the meeting. It shows a true commitment on the part of families. The school has a staffing level of a principal and 11 mainstream class teachers, one learning support teacher and one...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The report of the action group on access to third level education, published in 2001, sets out detailed recommendations in relation to the operation of the millennium partnership fund for disadvantage which provides assistance to partnership companies and community groups to develop their support schemes for students from disadvantaged families. These partnerships and community groups operate...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education has been established as an independent statutory body under the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order, 2003. The order requires the council to undertake its full range of functions with effect from October 2004. The council has approval to employ up to 80 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, to undertake the service...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The matter of art teachers who failed to become fully qualified through the technical schools examinations system, which was wound up in 1988, was examined in the course of discussions with the teachers' representative bodies. Arising from these discussions, a course was organised by my Department which gave such teachers the opportunity to become fully qualified. The course, called the NUI...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no record of having received an application for the establishment of a secondary school for pupils with autism and autistic spectrum disorders in Kilkenny. I can confirm, however, that my officials are examining a proposal to construct a new building for the Holy Spirit special school in Kilkenny which caters for pupils with special needs including those with autism. The...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Owing to staff changes in the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, there was a period of time when it was not possible to offer a service to the school in question. However, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the situation has been resolved, and a NEPS psychologist has been assigned to the school.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: On 15 September 2004, my Department received an application from the school in question for an increase in the special needs assistant support levels for the pupils referred to by the Deputy. However, the application was incomplete as the relevant supporting documentation did not accompany the application. The school was advised of this on 24 September. Additional information was submitted by...

Written Answers — College Closures: College Closures (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 150, 154, 176 and 179 together. The issue of the future of the college, which is the subject of the questions posed by the Deputies, arose in the context of a decision by the trustees of the college that, due to personnel and financial considerations, they were no longer in a position to fulfil the role of trustees of the college. Following discussions...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: As recently announced, over the remainder of this school year a new school planning model involving published area development plans will be piloted in five areas. Included in the pilot scheme is the N4-M4 route from Leixlip to Kilcock and including Maynooth and Celbridge and from Enfield through to Kilbeggan. The plan for this particular area, which was published in June of this year,...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: An application for grant aid towards refurbishment and additional accommodation has been received from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects in line with the revised prioritisation criteria that resulted from consultation with the partners. The purpose of the review is to enable and inform a...

Written Answers — Administration of Universities: Administration of Universities (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: Any issues around internal administrative practices within the Trinity College library are a matter for that university, in line with the provisions of the Universities Act 1997. I have no plans to look into internal university issues of that nature.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is currently examining all building projects on hands in line with the project prioritisation criteria that were recently revised in consultation with the education partners. The proposed project at the school to which the Deputy refers is included in this review. I expect to be in a position to provide an update in relation to the progress of...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: School secretaries in certain primary schools, employed under the 1978-79 scheme are paid a salary throughout the year, including holiday periods. In the case of all other secretaries in primary schools, the arrangement is that each school receives a grant from my Department for the provision of secretarial and other ancillary services. It is a matter for each school to determine how best to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil in question. At present, my Department is considering the levels and deployment of SNA support in mainstream national schools generally and the application is being considered in this context. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school as soon as this...