Results 6,641-6,660 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my Department that the special educational needs of the child in question were considered by the Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO). The child's needs fall to be catered for from within the school's general allocation model of teaching resources rather than through the provision of additional...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department keeps such matters generally under review and maintains contact with the Teaching Council in this regard. The Teaching Council is not involved with the recruitment or employment of teachers, however, the Deputy may be aware that the Teaching Council's database of registered teachers will be able to provide a range of different information on the numbers of registered teachers...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Exemptions from learning Irish are granted in accordance with the provisions of Circular M10/94. The criteria provide that exemptions may be granted by school authorities for (a) students whose primary education up to 11 years of age was received in Northern Ireland or outside Ireland (b) students who were previously enrolled as recognised students in a primary school or post-primary school...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary school Boards of Management each year. Accordingly, all...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (12 Mar 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 Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy is one of 27 new schools to be provided under my Department's Public Private Partnership Programme (PPP) 2006 to 2010. The first bundle consists of four post-primary, two in Co. Laois and two in Co. Offaly is in procurement and is likely to go to construction this year. The second bundle consists of six schools, 5 post-primary and 1 primary school in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A technical assessment has not yet been carried out for the school in question. A re-assessment of project enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area is required in order to assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. The outcome of the technical assessment will help to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The additional information from the school referred to by the Deputy has been received. The progression of this project as with all large scale building projects, from initial design stage through to construction phase, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage. Further progression of the project will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Officials from my Department have recently been in contact with the home tutor referred to by the Deputy. The tutor has been informed that payment in respect of the home tuition grant for the month of January issued on the 10th March 2008 and payment for the month of February will issue on the 12th March 2008.

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Further to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 162 answered on 27th February last the school referred to by the Deputy did not receive direct ICT funding in 2007. The school did however receive the annual Minor Works Grant which allows schools, inter alia, to purchase IT related equipment without referring back to my Department. The value of the minor works grant has increased by nearly...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Approximately €586 million has been allocated for school buildings in 2008. At this point, this has been provisionally assigned to the various constituent parts of the building programme as follows— €155m on large scale and devolved projects under construction at 1 January 2008; €85m on devolved projects proceeding to construction during 2008; €55m on large scale projects commencing...

Written Answers — School Status: School Status (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is currently in negotiation with the school to which the Deputy refers with regard to a proposed change in status.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The scope of the proposed project has been recently expanded to accommodate additional classrooms. My Department are awaiting a date from the school's Board of Management indicating receipt of a revised stage 2A (Developed Sketch Scheme). The further progression of the project to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The further progression of the project to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004. Since then, over 3,000 projects in primary and post-primary schools 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 delivering as many large projects as possible in 2008. The emphasis will be on new schools,...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The project for the school to which the Deputy refers will consist of the construction of a new 24 classroom school of approximately 3,562sq. m. with 3 new ball courts and 2 junior play areas. It is currently at stage 3 of architectural planning. Following on from a review of a revised stage 3 submission, additional Mechanical and Electrical information was requested from the Design Team....

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Inspectorate of my Department conducted 253, 228 and 241 whole-school evaluations in primary schools in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. The number of whole-school evaluations in primary schools given for 2005 includes 90 Tuairiscí Scoile, a former model of inspection which has been replaced by whole-school evaluation. At post-primary level, 53, 57 and 59 whole-school evaluations were...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (12 Mar 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 currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (12 Mar 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The specific data requested by the Deputy are not available to my Department. Survey work undertaken by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) in 2007 includes an assessment of literacy levels in over 400 schools at primary level in mainly disadvantaged areas. The results from this research will feed into policy planning and programme evaluation in the area of social inclusion. A circular...