Results 8,401-8,420 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department recently received a revised contract sum in respect of the new primary school referred to by the Deputy. As the documentation was not accompanied by a Quantity Surveyor's report, officials in my Department are now conducting a financial analysis of the revised contract sum. When the assessment is complete my Department will be in contact with the school's Board of Management....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the education of children with special educational needs is a key policy priority for the Government. Much has been done in this area in terms of delivering additional teaching and care supports. The report in question is wide ranging and makes many recommendations in relation to the development of mental health policy generally as well as a number of...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Agreement was reached between the trustees of the three existing post primary schools in Skibbereen to amalgamate into a single school. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) was requested to source a suitable site to facilitate this amalgamation. To date, however, the sourcing of a green field site has proved very difficult. Following advertisement a number of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The number of civil servants based currently in my Department in Dublin who have applied to decentralise is 179. One hundred and thirty seven (154) of these applicants wish to decentralise with my Department, while 25 wish to decentralise with other organisations. To date my Department has been able to accommodate 48 officers who applied to decentralise in a location of their choice outside...

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: No, that would be professionally inappropriate.

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Professional psychologists should not discuss a child with a third party.

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to share time with the Minister of State at the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children, Deputy Devins, who has special responsibility for disability and mental health issues.

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes: all schools have access to psychological assessments for their students, either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service or through the Scheme for Commissioning Private Assessments; the number of NEPS psychologists has trebled since the service was established to 134...

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The procedures for accessing extra support have also been improved with the establishment of the National Council for Special Education and its team of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs. Through this service, parents and teachers have, for the first time, local personnel to help them obtain the appropriate support for their children. All of these improvements have been made...

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As I stated, the NEPS has recently issued a set of guidelines and resource packs for all schools outlining exactly the nature of the graduation model. The full, thorough psycho-educational assessment is only necessary for the small number of pupils for whom assessment and intervention within the school has not worked and for those who have clear and significant special educational needs on...

Psychological Service: Motion (20 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I will come to that. The Government is committed to increasing the number of NEPS psychologists to 200 by 2009. As part of this expansion, funding was made available earlier this year for 31 extra psychologists to be appointed to NEPS in 2007. In April 2007, there were 128 educational psychologists, including four that have been assigned to the dedicated national behavioural support...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that I secured approval for a 10% increase in the standard rate of student grant with effect from September 2007. This very substantial increase, at twice the rate of inflation, will benefit over 56,000 students who receive a maintenance grant to attend higher and further education. In addition, over 13,200 students are expected to benefit from a...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second — chance education initiative, which is funded by my Department, for unemployed persons who are at least 21 years of age and in receipt of certain social welfare payments for at least six months. It is operated through the Vocational Education Committees. The aim of the Scheme is to give unemployed people education and training...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The table contains a breakdown of the monthly expenditure on travel incurred by the Minister and Ministers of State since the formation of the new Government. The costs for the Minister for Education and Science include the recent visit to new Zealand where she accompanied the President. Monthly Expenditure on Travel since the formation of the new Government on the 14th June 2007 Name of...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A reasoned opinion has been issued by the European Commission relating to the transposition of EU Directive 2006/100 of 20 November 2006 in relation to mutual recognition of qualifications on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Council Directive 2006/100 of 20 November 2006 was published on 20 December 2006 in the EU Journal. It sets out the titles of certain qualifications in respect of...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The organisation referred to by the Deputy has written to my Department and a reply will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together. I understand that the tender documentation for the project referred to by the Deputy is nearing completion. Progression of all projects to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The universities are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs. The universities receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine the programmes it runs.

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Funding of recurrent grants to universities is provided through the Higher Education Authority. The Authority has advised that the amount of recurrent core grants funding, including fees, allocated to date for UCD in 2007 is €176.9 m. The amount allocated to UCD for 2006 was €178.3m. The universities are autonomous institutions and it is a matter for each institution to determine the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Nov 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The tender report for the school referred to by the Deputy is under examination in my Department at present. The school's Board of Management will be kept advised of developments when the examination is complete.