Results 8,221-8,240 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: No allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been reported to my Department by Departmental staff since 1 January 2007.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The New School Advisory Committee (NSAC) has received formal notifications of intention to apply for the recognition of two new primary schools in September, 2008 in the area referred to by the Deputy. The NSAC is an independent advisory group established to process applications for the recognition of new primary schools and to make recommendations to the Minister for Education and Science. I...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 519 together. The school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to the Department for capital funding towards the provision of a new school and the long-term staffing figure on which accommodation needs will be based has been determined and notified to the school authority. It has been agreed that appropriate accommodation should be...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received a notification of intention to apply for recognition for a new Educate Together Primary School in the town specified by the Deputy. The New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC), an independent advisory committee has been charged with the task of assessing, using a given set of criteria, applications to open new primary schools and make recommendations. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, all applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria and assigned a Band rating. Progress on individual projects is then considered in the context of the multiannual School Building and Modernisation Programme consistent with the assigned Band rating. This is the case for the project in question. The funding of...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that decisions to amalgamate are a matter solely for the school's Patron or Trustees. My Department's role is to facilitate any such proposals or discussions between the relevant parties.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Nov 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, for the establishment of special classes for autism and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE will continue to establish additional autism classes where the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension at the school referred to by the Deputy has been assessed and the long term projected enrolments has been determined. In order to determine how best to provide for the school's future accommodation needs, a technical assessment of the existing school buildings will have to be carried out in order to finalise the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has approved the provision of a new post primary school and a new primary school for the area to which he refers. The projects concerned are included in the new schools to be provided under my Department's extended Public Private Partnership Programme. I have already announced the first two bundles of school projects to progress under...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A site has been reserved in Greystones Local Area Development Plan for the Blacklion area. It is the Department's plan to develop this site commensurate with the delivery of housing developments. While there are no immediate plans to develop this site, the Department will be liaising with the local authority to establish the proposed rate and pace of housing developments to enable a time...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The assessment of means under my Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes is based on gross income from all sources, with specified social welfare and health service payments being excluded from the calculation. Under the schemes reckonable income is defined as income from: Employment/Pensions; Self Employment/Farming; Rent and income from Land/Property; Deposit/Investment...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under the Lisbon Convention and the EU Directive on Mutual Recognition of professional qualifications, Ireland is committed to giving appropriate recognition to qualifications from other countries. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland hosts a network of qualifications and quality assurance agencies from Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, and this network has...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been operational since 1st January 2005, and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). The SENO is also a focal point of contact for parents and schools. All schools...

Written Answers — Outdoor Education Centres: Outdoor Education Centres (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Outdoor Education Centres (OECs) have been 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, youth groups, special needs groups...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may already be aware, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students and to consolidate the administration of this unified grants scheme in the VEC sector. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administrative system. The scheme, which will be underpinned by a new Student Support Bill, will facilitate consistency of application,...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Welfare Board is developing a nationwide service on a continuing basis that is accessible to schools, parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) have been deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board's...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I set out below for the Deputy's information a count by academic year of the number of assessments by private psychologists requested by schools and the number of assessments sanctioned for payment by my Department's NEPS service under the Scheme for Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments Academic Year No. Assessments...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A suitable site was identified for the construction of a new primary school building in the area referred to by the Deputy. The site comprises three separate plots of land with three separate vendors. As all three plots are essential in order to make a viable and suitable site for the school, my Department has instructed the Chief State Solicitor's Office to finalise all outstanding...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the valid enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year and the staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. Within the terms of the staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received from the school authority for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to provide ancillary accommodation at the school referred to by the Deputy. The proposed building project will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.