Results 9,321-9,340 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 741 and 742 together. The terms and conditions of employment of teachers employed by the Vocational Education Committee (VEC) are a matter for the VEC concerned, subject to current employment legislation and to agreed procedures. My Department has been in contact with the VEC concerned and I understand the CEO will write to the Deputy on this issue.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Revised contracts of employment and terms and conditions of employment were agreed for Special Needs Assistants employed in primary and post primary schools in June 2005. Officials from my Department and representatives of Special Needs Assistants meet on a regular basis in relation to matters arising from that agreement in line with normal industrial relations procedures. The implementation...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 745 and 863 together. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. According to data submitted to my...

Written Answers — Gender Equity: Gender Equity (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The data referred to by the Deputy were recently published by my Department in a publication entitled Sé-Sí: Gender in Irish Education. The publication made use of existing administrative sources of information in line with recommendations of the Central Statistics Office in its Statistical Potential of Administrative Records (SPAR) published in 2003. My Department is currently reviewing...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The European Commission funds the Comenius school education programme which is administered in Ireland by Leargas, the Exchange Bureau, on behalf of my Department. As a renewal application for this project was not received by Leargas from the school, it is not eligible for funding under European Commission guidelines. The European Commission is responsible for all project funding in relation...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I have made enquiries with officials in my Department and I wish to advise the Deputy that the corespondence referred to is under review and a reply will shortly issue directly to the applicant.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the 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 required. In respect of the case referred to by the Deputy...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is in receipt of applications for major extensions at the schools to which the Deputy refers. These applications have been assessed and agreement reached with the school authorities on their long-term accommodation needs. Technical assessments of the school sites will be carried as the next step. Thereafter, progress on the projects will be considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that teachers are allowed a maximum of 365 days paid sick leave in a consecutive period of four years. In this regard the person to whom the Deputy refers has exhausted his entitlement to paid sick leave under Departmental Regulations. He is at this time on unpaid sick leave approved by his employer, the Board of Management of the Post-Primary School in question. In March 2007...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Sep 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 allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. All...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 757 and 758 together. The school to which the Deputy refers is situated in the Croom catchment area. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to review the school transport scheme, including catchment boundaries. My Department is currently considering how best to progress this task. In addition, my Department also intends to publish an Area...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan 2007-2013 provides for investment of €252m in the ICT in Schools Programme and I will be publishing a comprehensive new strategy for ICT in Schools covering the period to 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...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, I intend to publish a new ICT Schools Strategy which will aim to develop an e-Learning culture in schools that will ensure that ICT usage is embedded in teaching and learning across the curriculum. It will address teacher professional development, the maintenance of a national broadband network for schools, technical maintenance and support requirements and the...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Schools Broadband Access Programme is being undertaken in partnership with industry. The Agreement with IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) provides for a three year €18m joint Fund, with industry contributing €5 million per annum and the Government contributing €1 million per annum, and meets the costs of schools local connectivity. The broadband connectivity is...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An agreement was reached by the respective Patrons to rationalise provision of post-primary provision in the Tuam area to establish a single boys' and a single girls' school. The actual amalgamation in each case is dependent on the availability of suitable accommodation. In relation to the Girls school it is proposed to provide a new school on a new site. The OPW, which acts on behalf of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department recently visited this school and following on from this visit, the Patron has confirmed the availability of additional lands for a school building project. This project is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person "of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Summer Works Scheme 2008. As the closing date for receipt of applications is 28 September 2007, I am not in position to comment further.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the 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 required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Sep 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My officials have been in contact with the National Council for Special Education and I understand that the application on behalf of the pupil in question did not meet the criteria for individual resource hours under Specific Speech and Language Disorder. However, the pupil will have access to support from the school's learning support/resource teacher. The NCSE will undertake to review a...