Results 7,161-7,180 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans to establish a taskforce on school accommodation needs. As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for Government commits my Department to establishing a Developing Areas Unit to liaise with Local Authorities, to identify where new schools are needed and to ensure that these schools are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe. Initial work on establishing and assigning...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Teaching Council Act 2001 provides that "the Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister may appoint by orders or orders either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so fixed for different purposes or provisions." Many of the provisions of the Act have come into operation. The Teaching Council has made...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The scheme of secondment is designed to facilitate the temporary release of a permanent teacher from his or her teaching post. The procedures for secondment arrangements are set out in Department Circular 11/02. Under these arrangements a Board of Management, in framing a policy position on secondments, is required to ensure that the welfare and educational needs of pupils take precedence...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works, which acts generally on behalf of the Department on the acquisitions of sites for schools, has been requested to source a site for this school. A suitable site has been identified and its acquisition is at the conveyancing stages.

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: For young parents of schoolgoing age, the most pressing issues are considered to be a sensitive response to their needs, appropriate counselling, mentoring and medical assistance, minimum disruption of tuition, and appropriate access to child care. Individual circumstances will differ and accordingly, school management practice will vary from case to case. Generally, when it comes to the...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school in question submitted an application under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 for additional accommodation/refurbishment. Due to the volume of applications received in my Department at the time it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the application from this school was not successful.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management of a primary school is responsible for the recruitment, selection and appointment of all teachers to a school. The procedures for the appointment of teachers are set out in Appendix D of the publication, Boards of Management Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure (revised November, 2007), copies of which are available...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for large scale capital funding from the school to which he refers. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a Band rating. Progress on the proposed works will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, is considered on an ongoing basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. The Deputy can be assured that my Department will continue to ensure that building projects such as the one in...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Since the 1st September 2002 one All-Irish Post-Primary school received permanent recognition. The school, Coláiste Oiriall, Monaghan, operates under the aegis of County Monaghan Vocational Education Committee. I will arrange to have the enrolment details forwarded to the Deputy. In general such new schools open with provisional recognition from my Department. The schools are required to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions are ongoing in relation to the intended patronage of the school in question and a decision will be made shortly.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A tender report for a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy has been received in my Department. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase is considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme in which the main focus is to deliver...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A total of 450 local HSCL coordinators provide HSCL services to 691 schools (370 Primary and 281 Post primary), with an additional 80 posts made available in 2006 to extend Home School Community Liaison services to all schools selected to participate in DEIS, the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, that did not have such services. I also extended my commitment to schools not selected to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Modernisation and Policy Section of my Department's Planning and Building Unit recently received an application from the school in question for emergency funding. The application will be assessed without delay and the outcome notified to the school authorities as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: This project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Delivery of all building projects, including Athy Community College, Co Kildare will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. I intend to make further announcements during the year of projects to proceed to construction as my Department's building programme is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 to 513, inclusive, together. The level of detail requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However, I am arranging for information to be compiled by my officials and this will be sent to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware of my position on the issues of litigation in special educational needs and can be assured that neither I nor my Department take lightly any decision to defend cases concerning children with special educational needs. I should emphasise that my Department does not initiate any such proceedings and cases are generally only litigated where no potential settlement is...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. However, if the Deputy has a query in relation to a specific school he can contact my officials in the Department who will be happy to assist in this regard. In general new schools initially operate with provisional recognition from my Department. During the period of provisional recognition, it is the responsibility of the...

Written Answers — Equity Stake: Equity Stake (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Any bodies established as companies by my Department are non-commercial entities and therefore the issue of an equity stake does not arise.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (19 Feb 2008)

Mary Hanafin: An agreement was reached by the respective Patrons to rationalise provision of post-primary provision in the town referred to by the Deputy to establish a single boys' and a single girls' school. The actual amalgamation in each case is dependent on the availability of suitable accommodation. In relation to the Girls school it is proposed to provide a new school on a new site. The OPW,...