Results 9,521-9,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers closed because there were insufficient numbers enrolled to keep it viable. There is another primary school in the area with capacity to cater for the pupils that would otherwise have attended the closed school.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school submitted an application under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 for additional accommodation. Due to the volume of applications received in the Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the school referred to by the Deputy was not successful in this instance. It is open to the school authority to apply for funding under the 2008 scheme, details...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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. Data submitted to the Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 427 together. The National Council for Special Education, through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools. Special Need Assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to class size is based on the annual census of primary schools. All schools have now returned their census forms to the Department. 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 academic year 2006/07 will be made available after it has...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I presume the Deputy is referring to an application for a place on a Post-Graduate programme for primary teacher training that is provided by a private college. As I pointed out in my last response in relation to this issue, the college referred to by the Deputy is a privately-owned institution providing a privately-run course which has been accredited by the Higher Education and Training...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 438 together. As the Deputy may be aware, the school in question currently has the support of two resource teachers (RTTs) for traveller pupils. I can confirm that an application for a third RTT has been received in my Department and this is currently being considered. A decision will be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as this process has...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has met with officials from Cork County Council to assess the extent of on-going and proposed residential developments in County Cork, particularly having regard to east and southern environs of Cork City, including the Midleton area. The Local Authority, as part of the Midleton Special Local Area Plan, have included as part of their housing objective for the provision and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 5,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc. Children with special needs and those from disadvantaged areas are...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding to schools with special classes for pupils with a Severe or Profound General Learning Disabilities and classes for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders to enable them to provide a July Educational Programme. Where schools are unable to put such a programme in place, then parents may apply to the Department for funding to put a home tuition programme in place...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Seven hours per week home tuition were sanctioned for the pupil in question from 5th March 2007 to the end of May 2007. I can confirm for the Deputy that payment in respect of the home tuition grant for the months of March, April and May 2007 issued from my Department on 29th June 2007.

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of schools which would include heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, painting, teaching aids and other miscellaneous charges. The primary school capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Applications for redundancy are being received and processed in my Department on an ongoing basis. I can confirm that an application has been received from the Special Need Assistant referred to by the Deputy and it is expected that any payment owed will issue in August.

Written Answers — School Parking Facilities: School Parking Facilities (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy applied under the Summer Works Scheme 2007 for funding to provide car parking at the school. Due to the volume of applications received in the Department it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects and the school referred to by the Deputy was not successful in this instance. It is open to the school authority to apply for funding under...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been assessed and the long term projected staffing, on which the school's future accommodation needs has been determined and notified to the school authority. In order to determine how best to provide for the school's accommodation needs, it will be necessary to have a technical assessment of the existing buildings...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application from the school to which the Deputy refers for major capital works. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and was assigned a band 2 rating. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The situation is that the matters raised in the correspondence and record referred to by the Deputy were the subject of investigation in each case by the relevant authorities. In relation to allegations of fraud, I can confirm that audit investigations were carried out by my Department in 1988 and a more comprehensive audit and evaluation took place between 1991 and 1994. The Department of...

Written Answers — Grant Applications: Grant Applications (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The closing date for receipt of applications under the Dormant Accounts/RAPID Leverage Fund Small Scale Capital Grants Scheme for schools was 1st March. The scheme covers the improvement of existing facilities ('non new-builds') and the development of new facilities ('new-builds') in four areas: (i) Outdoor Play Facilities; (ii) Libraries; (iii) Parent Rooms; and (iv) Dining Areas. Schools...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school in question was allocated €484,000 in funding as part of the 2006 Small Schools Scheme. Additional funding was subsequently sanctioned in respect of unavoidable extra costs on project. The school was also allocated €270,039 under Summer Works Scheme 2007 to meet the cost of replacing the roof, windows and toilets in the existing building. The school have sought further funding...

Written Answers — Grant Applications: Grant Applications (3 Jul 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The closing date for receipt of applications under the Dormant Accounts/RAPID Leverage Fund Small Scale Capital Grants Scheme for schools was 1st March. The scheme covers the improvement of existing facilities ('non new-builds') and the development of new facilities ('new-builds') in four areas: (i) Outdoor Play Facilities; (ii) Libraries; (iii) Parent Rooms; and (iv) Dining Areas. Schools...