Results 7,621-7,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Health Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to address health and safety issues, including rodent infestation, that present within school grounds. School authorities may use their capitation grant or minor works grant to deal with urgent issues relating to vermin infestation. Where this is the case and if only...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions are ongoing with the authorities of the schools to which the Deputy refers in relation to their long term accommodation needs. As part of this process, meetings have also taken place with both Kildare County Council and Athy Town Council with a view to ensuring that the appropriate level of educational provision is made in the context of planned housing developments. The...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (30 Jan 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 3,700 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 focus...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy was one of 818 schools that were approved for a total of €3.33 million in grant aid from the Dormant Accounts Fund Small Scale ICT Scheme for DEIS Schools. The Department wrote to the Chairperson of the Board of Management of the School in November 2007 setting out the terms and conditions of the offer of the grant aid. There terms and conditions...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The process of appointing a design team to the building project referred to by the Deputy is underway. An advertisement seeking design team consultants has been posted on the public procurement portal: www.etenders.gov.ie

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The tender documentation for the project referred to by the Deputy is nearing completion. Progression of all projects to tender and construction are considered in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. As indicated at the post budget education briefing I intend to announce the first tranche of projects that will proceed to construction in 2008...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The progression of all projects to tender and construction, including the proposed PE Hall at the school in question, will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. As indicated at the post budget education briefing, I intend to announce shortly the first tranche of projects that will proceed to construction in 2008.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1011 and 1013 together. 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 3,700 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...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: A breakdown of the number of schools that made applications under the Summer Works Scheme for the years 2004 to 2007 inclusive is as follows: Summer Works Scheme Number of Applications Received Year No. of Primary Applications No. of Post-Primary Applications 2004 782 439 2005 868 463 2006 665 382 2007 1,563 698 As there will be no Scheme as part of the Department's Building Programme...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government sets out our commitment to implementing a comprehensive Schools' ICT Strategy. This strategy will be underpinned by the investment of €252m which is provided for in the National Development Plan 2007-2013. I appointed a Strategy Planning Group to advise me on the prioritisation of measures under the planned investment over the period of the NDP. Among the issues...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the overall total enrolment in the post-primary sector was 333,718 for the 2006/07 school year. The annual October Returns from schools which provides this data is still being processed for the 2007/08 school year. Accordingly, I am unable at present to provide the Deputy with enrolment information in respect of the current school year.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment data for the school year 2007/2008 are currently being compiled by my Department and are not yet available.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation system was introduced in May 2005, under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The general allocation system means that rather than schools having to make individual...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The request for recognition to which the Deputy refers is associated with an application from the organisation in question for inclusion in the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) pilot programme which is funded by my Department. The pilot programme will not be expanded and applicant groups have been so advised. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children including...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: My Department estimates that there are in the region of 28,000 pupils in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish. In order to meet their language needs, my Department in May 2007 issued a circular, reference 0053/2007, to the managerial authorities of all schools — both primary and post primary — to assist them in providing an inclusive school environment to meet the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the 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 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the multi-annual School...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: The cost of media monitoring and press cutting service to my Department for each of the years 2002 to 2007 is set out below. The service currently being provided to the Department enables all staff, across the Department, to access newspaper clippings from national and regional newspapers, via the Department's intranet. It also enables the storage and retrieval of archived clippings. The...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (30 Jan 2008)

Mary Hanafin: Officials from my Department are currently examining a revised Stage 3 submission (developed sketch scheme). On completion of this examination, the school's board of management will be kept in touch of developments.