Results 6,381-6,400 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Schools Building Projects. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Schools do not have different timetables, they all start between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. I am sure the Deputy knows these are the timings of our schools. There is no way a laboratory assistant could work between a number of schools given that they have classes on the same days.

Schools Building Projects. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is not a priority and will not happen in the immediate term. We will examine it under the science strategy over the next few years. We will continue with our commitment to upgrade the school facilities as we have been doing for the past few years.

School Staffing. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science has published the staffing schedule for the 2008-09 school year. Given the increased enrolments in primary schools generally, the application of the schedule is likely to result in an increase of over 600 mainstream teaching posts for primary schools in the next school year. Approximately 120 posts will be lost in schools that had fewer pupils enrolled...

School Staffing. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The list of schools affected is being extracted and will be given to the Deputy presently. It would be impossible to list them all here. It is a genuine case of officials having to go through the IT system to inform us which schools will lose 120 teachers. When the information is complied it will be forwarded to the Deputy. We examined the possibility in-house of changing the retention...

School Staffing. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The cost per teacher is estimated to be €60,000. It is made up not only by the employment of the teacher but knock-on effects such as posts of responsibility, administrative principals etc. The 50 schools in question are the only ones to lose but others may gain teachers. It must be acknowledged that a greater number of teachers would be coming into the system if those 50 schools were not...

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In general the arrangements for supporting secretarial and caretaking services in schools mirror those for providing support funding for the schools concerned. Primary and secondary schools are funded through capitation grants and likewise secretarial and caretaking services are funded by grants related to the number of pupils in the school. A small number of primary and post-primary schools...

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: With regard to the talks which have been ongoing, the Department agreed on 11 March to establish formal structures for dealing with those secretaries and caretakers under the 1978 and 1979 scheme.

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is not the employer of those employed under the other grant systems. I would be very concerned, as would anybody, if employment legislation was being broken——

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: ——on those matters. The management bodies specifically asked for examples of where this was happening and agreed to follow up on it. The Department will continue to facilitate any meetings or talks between the management bodies and unions on the matter. We have issued circulars to all schools advising them of their responsibilities and roles with regard to employment legislation, which...

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Clearly I do not accept the Government is forcing anybody to break the law as no matter what funding is available, everybody has a responsibility, particularly with employment, to ensure the substantial legislation is adhered to. Secretaries and caretakers do a very good and important job but even the smallest of schools receive a minimum amount of money under the ancillary scheme. The...

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: That was an employment creation scheme.

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There was never any intention to spread out the numbers and increase the personnel in the public service. It is important——

School Services Staff. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: We will continue to facilitate meetings between management bodies and unions to ensure the employment rights of secretaries and caretakers employed by local boards of management have effect.

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: To date applications have been received to invoke section 9 of the Universities Act 1997 from Waterford Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. Any such application requires a detailed examination in the context not only of the detailed statutory process to which they are subject but also of their wider implications for higher education...

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: It is and I recall the last Question Time was allowed to run over so this matter could be taken.

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The application will be considered in the context of not only the region of Waterford but also international priorities. That leaves something for the Government to consider.

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am cognisant of the OECG report, which discussed the binary system in Ireland and the distinct roles of the institutes of technology and universities. That has led to the success of regional development in this country and I want to ensure nothing impinges on that. That report indicated in particular that this system should be protected, and naturally I want to do so. I am equally...

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: ——under section 9. It would be absolutely impossible for any Minister to start a process if there are no criteria by which it could be judged. That should be done in the first instance.

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Not only did the context change in respect of the legislation, it also changed when the Dublin and Cork institutes of technology revitalised their applications. We also received a submission from the institutes of technology in general regarding a federal structure for Ireland. The one thing the Minister for Education and Science must do is protect the status and standard of higher...

Institutes of Technology. (9 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In the first instance, the proposals set out in Dr. Port's report suggest that we must examine not only the regional model but also its national counterpart. We must also consider what action to take in respect of the criteria. It is not possible to kick-start a process without——