Results 6,301-6,320 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant was sanctioned in March 2007 under the Permanent Accommodation Scheme to enable the management authority of the school in question to build 3 permanent classrooms. The initiative allows Boards of Management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives Boards of Management...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Advisory Council for English Language Schools (ACELS) operates under the aegis of my Department to control quality standards in English Language Schools, including English language summer schools, through an inspection/recognition scheme. ACELS administers the scheme which leads to school recognition by my Department. Recognition of schools arises from their satisfying certain minimum...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning and Building Unit of my Department is in receipt of an application from the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department has agreed, in principle, to the future expansion of this school to an 8-classroom facility. As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly...

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 pupils, including those with special educational needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. There are now over 19,000 staff in our schools working solely with children with special needs. This includes almost 10,000 Special...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I assure the Deputy that supports are in place to enable schools to prevent bullying and to deal with cases that arise. However, the Deputy will be aware that there is no requirement for schools to report incidents of bullying to my Department, nor do I believe that this should be the case. Responsibility for tackling bullying falls to the level of the individual school as it is at local...

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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the availability of speech and language therapy services in schools. As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of therapy services, including speech therapy for people with disabilities, is a matter for the Health Services Executive (HSE) and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes.

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

Mary Hanafin: Commitments entered into with regard to school building projects are progressed as speedily as possible in my Department. Applications are assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. Progress on projects will then be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation programme and available finance.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the Government is determined to ensure that all children with special educational needs, including autism, have access to an education appropriate to their needs. Parents of children with autism now have three distinct choices available to them — their child can either attend a mainstream class in their local school with additional supports as required, they...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried...

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

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to primary school pupil teacher ratios is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The details for the current compiled by my Department and the information requested is not yet available. Pupil Teacher Ratios in respect of all schools is currently only available at national level and not disaggregated by county or any other variable. Significant improvements...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An application for large scale capital funding at the school in question has been received. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. It is not possible at this early stage...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project to which the Deputy refers to is at early architectural planning. Officials from my Department have requested the Developed Sketch Design. On receipt of this. my Department will be in contact with the school authorities. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to tender and construction, including this project, will be considered in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project at the school referred to by the Deputy was given verbal approval for stage 1 at a Project Development Meeting held at the end of January. Written approval confirming this will be issued shortly. Delivery of all building projects, including the school in question will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. It is...

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

Mary Hanafin: As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas, including Naas. 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning and Building Unit of my Department is in receipt of one application for major capital funding from one school in Clane. The School Board of Management is currently in the process of appointing a design team to the project. As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 193, inclusive, together. As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas, including Kilcock, Celbridge and Maynooth. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning and Building Unit of my Department is in receipt of two applications for major capital funding from schools in Leixlip. These applications are being assessed by the Planning and Building Unit. As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: The project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at stage 3 of the architectural planning process. The stage 3 submission is being reviewed by the Board of Management's design team before it is referred to my Department for approval. As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs...