Results 7,761-7,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Press releases from the Department of Education and Science are all readily available, on issue, on the Department's website www.education.ie, under the link for Press Room. Outside groups, including political organisations, are also included in the circulation list for direct electronic receipt of copies of press releases. This circulation list is updated on a regular basis and I am happy to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for the Summer Works Scheme 2008 has been received from the schools referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy may be aware, the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004. Since then, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of €300 million have been completed. Considerable extra investment has been provided in the Budget to increase funding for school buildings to almost €600...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The three post primary schools in question have agreed to amalgamate to form a new Community School. The new school is expected to cater for up to 650 pupils. The amalgamation will proceed when a new school building has been provided. A suitable site for this project has been identified. It consists of lands acquired under the Residential Institutions Redress Act (Redress site) and an...

Written Answers — Outdoor Education Centres: Outdoor Education Centres (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Achill Outdoor Education Centre is one of 11 outdoor education centres (OEC's) developed by Vocational Education Committees in order to enhance the quality of the educational experience for young people through outdoor education programmes. OECs cater mainly for primary and post-primary students, including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They also cater for third-level students,...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 383 together. The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. I have been informed that the issue in this case arose as a result of a failure to correctly transfer the marks awarded...

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the provision of waste and water allowances to schools with charges becoming effective after these are exceeded. The examination referred to in the Programme is primarily a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government who has responsibility for waste and water policy generally and the EU...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. SENOs also make recommendations where assistive technology is required. My Department has no record of receiving a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In making its payments my Department is mindful of Sections C.5.3 to C.5.7 of the Department of Finance's Public Financial Procedures which outline the appropriate procedures for payments. In line with these Public Financial Procedures it may be necessary, due to contractual commitments, to make advance payments. The information on advance payments as sought by the Deputy is not routinely...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The School authorities have recently been requested to submit an addendum to the original stage 3 report (developed sketch scheme). When this information is received in my Department it will be evaluated by my Department's technical team. Progression of the project to tender and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level and further education grants is a matter for the relevant Local Authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. Under the terms of the third level student support schemes (...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Teaching Council has processed over 5,800 new applications for teacher registration in primary, post primary and further education sectors since March 2006. In a small proportion of cases, assessment for registration required more detailed investigation and consideration of qualifications than is the norm or procedural issues arose which have since been resolved. The Teaching Council aims...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that historically the State funds chaplains in Community and Comprehensive schools and certain Community Colleges under the VEC. It does so in accordance with agreements reached with Church Authorities at the time of first establishment of those types of schools. Over time the matter of extending State funded chaplaincy to Voluntary Secondary Schools has been the subject of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The application for large scale capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed against published prioritisation criteria. Officials from the Department's Planning and Building Unit met recently with representatives of the school. Progress on the project, will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Early Assessment Schemes: Early Assessment Schemes (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The matter referred to by the Deputy relates to a service being provided by the Health Service Executive. In the circumstances, I have made arrangements for the Deputy's question to be forwarded to the Department of Health and Children for attention.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, 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 special...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: This site is being acquired under the Fingal School Model agreement and is required to extend an existing school site. My Department is currently liaising with Fingal County Council on its transfer. The Deputy will appreciate however that due to the commercial sensitivities of land acquisitions, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the detail in relation to specific land purchases...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A suitable site has been identified for the school referred to by the Deputy. An appeal of the decision to refuse planning permission for the school has been lodged by my Department with An Bord Pleanála.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisition, has secured a site for the provision of a new school. The building project required to deliver the new school building will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As previously outlined to the Deputy in my response to this question on 13th November, 2007 and 20th November, 2007, I confirm that in line with my Department's circular 0034/2007, the school in question had the minimum of 44 hours required to retain 2 learning support/resource (LS/RT) teaching posts for the 2007/2008 school year. A letter confirming this position issued to the school on...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension at the school referred to by the Deputy has been received and needs to be reassessed in order to determine the long term projected enrolments of the school. The building project required to meet the school's accommodation needs will be considered in the context of the multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.