Results 9,461-9,480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (5 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The schools to which the Deputy refers made certain demands of the Department for capital works in the context of an amalgamation negotiation. They have not, otherwise, completed a formal application under any section/scheme of the Department's Capital Programme. The amalgamation is not being pursued and, while this does not preclude the schools from applying for capital funding, they must...

Written Answers — Employment Law: Employment Law (5 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003 was enacted on 14th July 2003. Section 9(2) of that Act provides that where a fixed term employee is employed by his or her employer on two or more continuous contracts and the aggregate duration of such contracts exceeds 4 years the contract is deemed to be a contract of indefinite duration unless there are objective grounds to justify...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 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 — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration (pursued in a university or a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds) in other EU Member States with effect from the 1996/97...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Four hundred (400) Dublin based posts in my Department will relocate under the programme of decentralisation. One hundred posts (100) will relocate to Athlone and 300 posts will relocate to Mullingar. The Athlone element of the decentralisation includes a re-organisation which will reunite a section in Athlone, which has been divided between Dublin and Tullamore since decentralisation to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am confirm to the Deputy that the Department has asked Fingal County Council to explore the possibility of acquiring additional land adjacent to the school to which he refers for the purpose of expanding the campus.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for school building works, grant-aid of €275,000 was sanctioned in March 2007 to enable the management authorities of the school in question to extend and refurbish their school building. Additional grant-aid to cover costs relating to car parking, disabled access and play area was approved recently. The school authorities appointed a...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The purpose of the proposed Student Support Bill is to provide a statutory framework for coherent administration of a single unified scheme of student maintenance grants to facilitate greater consistency of application, improved client accessibility and timely delivery of grants to those who need them most. This is part of my overall strategy to introduce service improvements in the...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I take it the Deputy's question relates to fees for part-time students undertaking undergraduate courses at our higher education institutions funded by the State. As the Deputy may be aware, the Towards 2016 agreement contains a commitment to put in place a targeted scheme to alleviate the fees in public institutions for part-time courses at third level for those at work who have not...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In general adult education programmes are provided either in spare accommodation in schools or in rented premises and are equipped through the relevant Vocational Education Committee. Funding for rental and other costs is made available to the VECs to enable them to obtain accommodation for the different programmes. My Department will continue to keep the accommodation needs of the adult...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area will be required in order to assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When the long-term projected enrolment...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area will be required in order to assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When the long-term projected enrolment...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A site visit to the school to which the Deputy refers has taken place with a view to finalising the project brief and progressing the appointment of a design team. On completion of the brief, the project will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that Dr. Jim Port has had a series of meetings with a range of interested parties and is currently finalising a report of his preliminary examination of the case put forward by Waterford Institute of Technology for a review of its status. Dr. Port will submit his report to me as soon as he has completed it. I expect to receive it in the coming weeks. I will consider what further...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department considers that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs. Children with autism in special classes have the benefit of fully-qualified teachers who are trained in educating and developing children generally and who have access to additional training in autism-specific approaches, including ABA,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is enrolled in a special class which operates at a pupil teacher ratio of 8:1. The pupil also has the support of a full time special needs assistant. In relation to the element of the Deputy's question relating to psycho-educational assessment, I wish to confirm that the school which the child in question attends is assigned the services...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department's position is that as each child with autism is unique, they should have access to a range of different approaches to meet their individual needs. Applied Behavioural Analysis, or ABA, is one of the methods used in special classes for children with autism. The issue of contention is whether ABA should be the only method used in some settings....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Data are given in the following table for the 2005/06 school year, the most recent year for which figures are available. Information in relation to class size is based on the annual census of primary schools. Data processing, validating and finalisation of the census for the current school-year (2006/07) is nearing completion. As usual, information on class size for each county for the...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In general, the Board has the responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently and effectively and also has responsibilities in relation to the action of its employees. My Department supports the principle that complaints regarding schools should...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (4 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Agreement has been reached between the trustees of the three existing post primary schools in Skibbereen to amalgamate into a single school. In order to try to progress the amalgamation, the Department and OPW are currently examining the feasibility of providing the accommodation required for the amalgamated school on the existing site owned by County Cork Vocational Education Committee.