Results 6,561-6,580 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in temporary accommodation on a site in Rathnew. The development of permanent accommodation for the school will be considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (2 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 — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy is one of 27 new schools to be provided under my Departments PPP Programme. The First Bundle consisting of four post-primary schools — two in Co. Laois and two in Co. Offaly — are in procurement and is likely to go to construction this year. The Second Bundle, consisting of six schools — 5 post-primary and 1 primary school in Counties Cork, Limerick,...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Legal costs incurred by the State, in defending those cases which are brought to court, are not met directly by my Department. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving damages or compensation against the State, costs are generally charged to the Chief State Solicitor's Office Vote as sanctioned by the Attorney General. With reference to the costs incurred by my Department...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 766 to 769, inclusive, together. The development of a building project for the school in question is at an early stage. The commencement and progression 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 Department's Multi-Annual...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the Summer Works Scheme has, since its introduction just a few years ago, transformed the standard of existing school accommodation. With over 3,000 projects now having been funded under the scheme, the Department's intention is to concentrate the investment in school buildings this year on delivering as many large projects as possible. While there will be a...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 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 — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004 with the purpose of devolving funding to primary and post-primary school to carry out works to school buildings with minimum interaction with the Department. Since then, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of €300 million have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, I intend to focus on...

Written Answers — Second Level Education: Second Level Education (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 773 and 796 together. I can confirm that I have received the ASTI strategy document referred to by the Deputy. In relation to second level education it is my intention to prioritise the commitments in the Programme for Government 2007-2012 for delivery over the lifetime of this Government, having regard to available funding, and I will consider the proposals...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 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 including the area to which the Deputy refers to. 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...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. An assessment of the projected enrolment trends, demographic trends and the housing developments in the area will be required to determine the long term projected staffing figure on which the school's accommodation needs will be based. The school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that home tuition has been granted to the child in question.

Written Answers — Departmental Facilities: Departmental Facilities (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: There are 874 car park spaces available to staff working in my Department nationally. The Office of Public Works is responsible for the provision of the parking spaces and for any associated costs. I understand that in some cases parking spaces are included in the overall rental cost of a building and therefore it is not possible to calculate the actual cost of the car-park spaces provided....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant of €484,000 was sanctioned in March 2007 for the school in question to enable the Board of Management to extend and modernise their school. The intention of the scheme is to provide funding to schools to enable them to undertake wanted building projects. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy are two of four schools that make up the First Bundle of the Department's current Public Private Partnership Programme. This bundle consists of two new schools in Portlaoise, Co. Laois and two new schools in Co. Offaly. The two schools in Portlaoise will be built on the one site — St. Mary's CBS, and Scoil Chríost Rí and the two schools in Co. Offaly...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Modernisation and Policy Unit of my Department received an application for emergency funding for the erection of security fencing from the school in question in September 2007. It was not possible to provide funding for these works from the Emergency Works Scheme at that time as the Scheme was fully subscribed for 2007. This application is being held on file and will be assessed again...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has applied to the Department for capital funding. The progression of the proposed project and funding thereof will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In the context of establishment of schools, the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC) assesses all applications for new school recognition. The NSAC is an independent advisory group established to process applications for the recognition of new primary schools and to make recommendations to the Minister for Education and Science. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement on the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been assessed and the long term projected staffing, on which the schools future accommodation needs has been determined. In order to determine how best to provide for the school's accommodation needs, it will be necessary to have a technical assessment of the existing buildings carried out. This will be considered...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (2 Apr 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The minimum requirements for places on Bachelor of Education courses in Colleges of Education are Leaving Certificate Grade C3 Higher Level in not less than three subjects, Grade D3 in three other subjects, Grade C3 in Higher Level Irish, Grade C3 in English Ordinary Level or D3 Higher Level, Grade D3 in Mathematics (either ordinary or Higher Level). Applicants apply on one single Leaving...