Results 8,061-8,080 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I assume the application for the school to which the Deputy refers was made under the Dormant Accounts Scheme. In light of the very large number of project proposals received and the level of oversubscription the Dormant Accounts Fund Inter-Departmental Committee on Educational Disadvantage recommended that arrangements should be made to transfer these proposals to the Department's Planning...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The new Leaving Certificate examination schedule for 2008 has been agreed with a working group representing the Partners in Education, and is designed to reduce the demand on students especially during the first week of the examinations. It advances Chemistry, which is sat by some 7000 students, and Geography, sat by some 25,000 students, to Thursday and Friday respectively of the first...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As previously outlined to the Deputy, my Department is in regular contact with the relevant stakeholders including the patrons of the relevant schools in the area, at both primary and post primary levels. My Department continues to monitor, on an ongoing basis, developments in this regard.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department has recently received correspondence from the school referred to by the Deputy, requesting an application form in respect of the Major Capital Works programme. The requested material has been forwarded to the school.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which generally acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions, was asked to source a site for the school to which the Deputy refers. A number of site options have emerged and these are still under consideration in my Department.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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 million next year. With so many small projects having been completed over the past few years, I intend to...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The first facility referred to by the Deputy is not a recognised school. Some of the children involved are in receipt of home tuition arrangements. Places are available in recognised school provision for those children who are of school-going age. Arrangements can be made to transition the children to these places. With regard to the Deputy's reference to the second school, I wish to advise...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (5 Dec 2007)

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 — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational WelfareBoard (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 — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (5 Dec 2007)

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...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a grant has been approved by my Department for the school project in question. Additional information has been requested and on receipt of this information the grant will issue to the school.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) that is administered by NEPS and full details of which are available on my Department's website. NEPS does not keep waiting lists for assessments of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Schedules of overall accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers have been agreed with Co. Cork Vocational Education Committee to cater for a long term enrolment of 325 pupils. The building project required to deliver this new accommodation is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that my officials recently met with representatives of the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC). The matter of additional funding was raised by the NBPC and it was agreed that a formal proposal would be presented to my Department. This proposal is awaited. With regard to the element of the Deputy's question concerning the number of students awaiting the...

Written Answers — Video Conferencing Facilities: Video Conferencing Facilities (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department uses video conferencing whenever feasible and practical so that officials in various locations do not have to travel to attend meetings. In particular, video conferencing is used extensively by officials in the Department's three main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to availability of video conferencing facilities...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In 2007, 164 staff members in my Department received tax saver commuter tickets.

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to waste management is provided in the following table. This table contains the figures for the Departments main offices in Dublin, Athlone and Tullamore. Local arrangements are in place in the Regional Offices, Inspectors' Offices and NEPS Offices throughout the country for the...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the new action plan for educational inclusion provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The DEIS plan states that as well as provision being made for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage, financial support will also continue to be provided...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (5 Dec 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the two primary schools to which he refers are amalgamating. It is necessary for the Department to purchase additional land to enable a building project to facilitate this development. This process is on-going. Progress on the building project itself will be considered in the context of the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme when the land has...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2007)

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