Results 9,841-9,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Apr 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 institutions...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The cost would depend on the number of part-time students who earn less than the average industrial wage. My Department does not collect income data from part-time students at present.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision to approve an application for job-sharing is a matter for the authorities of the school concerned. In the case of schools that have over-quota teachers, applications for job-sharing may be considered by the authorities of the schools concerned in the normal way i.e. applications will be assessed and approved, in the first instance, by the school managerial authority. It is then...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: At present my Department provides any supports required by members of staff with disabilities in all of its locations in so far as this is possible. In general it is possible to provide any supports requested. This practice will be continued in respect of the 300 posts to decentralise to Mullingar. My Department must comply with the provisions of Part 5 of the Disability Act, 2005 in relation...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 867 and 875 together. I can confirm that an application was made to the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSCA) to establish a new primary school in Celbridge to commence operation next September. This is considerably earlier than suggested in the Area Development Plan for the N4/M4 corridor. However, the demographics and current demand for pupil places...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The application in question was received in my Department on the 19th February 2007. My Department subsequently wrote to the applicant, on the 2nd April 2007, seeking further information. When this further information is received, the application will be processed further.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Protestant Block Grant. There are 55 fee-charging second level schools in the country, of which 21 are Protestant. The latter schools receive funding by way of the Protestant Block Grant, which has its origins in the desire of the State to enable students of the Protestant persuasion to attend schools, which reflect their denominational ethos....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The appeal from the school to which the Deputy refers is under consideration and contact will be made with the school management authority directly as soon as a decision is taken.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy originally applied in 1999 for an extension and refurbishment to provide for improved ancillary accommodation. A design team was appointed to the project and it was progressed to the early stages of architectural planning. Funding of €25,831 has been paid to date for professional and associated fees. Subsequently, the school submitted an application...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 873 and 960 together. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs. My Department's preferred approach to the provision of appropriate education for children with autism, is through the primary and post primary school network, whether through placement in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Education Act, 1998 it is a function of the Board of Management of each school, including those in Co Kildare, to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures the school take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 876 and 932 together. Under the terms of my Departments Higher Education Grants Scheme, candidates who have previously pursued an undergraduate course approved for the purposes of the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme or the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees (formerly ESF Scheme) shall not...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is aware of the need to re-locate the school to which the Deputy refers. Possible accommodation solutions are currently under consideration and when a decision has been taken the school authority will be contacted directly in the matter.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that at present, the courses run in the State, which allow for appointment to a permanent post in a primary school, are the Bachelor of Education degree and the 18-month post-graduate diploma in primary teaching. Both of these courses are run in the Colleges of Education, which specialise in the training of primary teachers. The 18 month Graduate Diploma course is a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced the allocation of 200 extra language support posts to schools, bringing the total number of language support teachers in our schools to 1,450. These new resources are intended for schools with large numbers of pupils who do not have English as a first language. Under the revised arrangements, depending on the number of eligible pupils...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. 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....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The site has been secured for the schools referred to by the Deputy. The process of appointing a design team to the building project for the first named school is well underway and will be completed shortly. Architectural planning of the new building will begin immediately thereafter. The planning application refers to the second named school and a decision on this revised application is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is probably aware there are currently three schools on the site in question. Two of these schools, however, are using the site on a temporary basis only and it is planned to ultimately permanently locate them on a site Ongar. The site itself at Littlepace will then accommodate two 16 classroom schools with a shared community facility. One of the school buildings has already...