Results 6,261-6,280 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (10 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 150 together. My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The building project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The project includes extension and refurbishment works to create an eight classroom school. The advancement of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The process of appointing a design team to the school building project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage. The advancement of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 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. 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 accommodation throughout the country. As in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers is at a very advanced stage of architectural planning. The project includes extension and refurbishment works to create a five classroom school. The further progression of the project through the remaining stages of architectural planning will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's multiannual School Building and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the architectural planning process. The project is for the construction of a new 4 classroom school. The further progression of the project through the remaining stages will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's multiannual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department has at present logged some 5 applications for amalgamation from boys and girls schools in the same locality. There are various reasons why a school should seek an amalgamation. They can include demography, meaning either a decline or increase in enrolments, the desire for co-education, financial reasons, condition of school buildings, parental/teacher demand etc. However, a...

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 — Schools Marketing Initiatives: Schools Marketing Initiatives (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I would like to assure the Deputy that I am aware of the concerns raised by the IPPN and the INTO on commercial marketing in schools. I understand that such marketing can take a variety of forms — from educational materials made available to schools by newspapers to companies offering schemes whereby products are given to the school on the basis of tokens collected by parents. I am of...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Schools Broadband Access Programme involves the provision of broadband connectivity to recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry in the context of a Government — IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Agreement to provide local broadband connectivity to schools. The Agreement provides for the establishment...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Paragraph 7.9 of Part VI of Towards 2016 contains a commitment to establish a targeted fund to alleviate fees in Higher Education Authority (HEA) supported public institutions for part-time courses at third level for those at work who have not previously pursued a third level qualification. A €10m fund, drawn from the National Training Fund, is available with the aim of meeting the above...

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

Mary Hanafin: The fundamental public policy issue in this case concerns upholding the rights of all children to access the full curriculum from the earliest possible stage. The revised primary curriculum was launched in 1999 after extensive consultation with the partners in education. Page 27 in the Introduction to the Curriculum states "It is a particular feature of Irish primary education that children,...

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

Mary Hanafin: The percentage of children in primary school classes of 30 pupils or more is as follows: 2003/04: 24.78% 2004/05: 24.91% 2005/06: 25.14% 2006/07: 24.01% The percentage of children in primary school classes of less than 20 pupils is as follows: 2003/04: 15.44% 2004/05: 15.14% 2005/06: 14.18% 2006/07: 13.73% The statistics for the school year 2007/08 are not yet available. There is evidence of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am not aware of any collapse, as described by the Deputy, of a process agreed under Towards 2016 to address payments of school secretaries and caretakers. 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...

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...