Results 10,381-10,400 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Investment in Education. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Investment in education has increased dramatically under the Government. This year, we are providing €8.6 billion for education compared with just €2.9 billion in 1997 and €5.4 billion in 2002. Thus, expenditure has virtually trebled since 1997 and risen by 60% since 2002. It is estimated that the gross education provision in 2007 represents a projected 4.5% and 5.3% of GDP and GNP,...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is determined to ensure that every child is educated in a suitable and comfortable environment. Since 1997, great advances have been made in transforming school accommodation throughout the country through an investment of €3 billion. This has funded more than 7,800 individual school projects in the past seven years alone. The National Development Plan 2007-13 will involve...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: We are committed to delivering the two new schools for Laytown on schedule. Two portions of land were needed for this. I announced in October that a deal had been done for the purchase of the larger portion of land. The owner of that portion of land, which is needed for the development of the new school, has indicated he is very happy with the deal. A second, smaller portion of land was...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There were two portions of land in question. With regard to the number of classrooms needed due to class size, every new teacher will obviously need a new class. Some 5,000 extra teachers have been provided in the past five years, which adds pressure, given there is a direct link between the reduction in class size and the provision of classrooms. Of those classrooms provided last year and...

School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Only a minority of schools avail of the optional oral examination in the junior certificate at present. For example, the following oral examinations were undertaken in 2006: French — 506 oral examinations in 22 schools; Spanish — 80 oral examinations in six schools; German — 267 oral examinations in 14 schools; and Gaeilge — 335 oral examinations in 12 schools. With regard to the...

School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na tacaíochta a thug sí do na moltaí seo because they are very significant proposals. It is the first time in 35 years that a change has been made in oral Irish. Naturally, I would love to see more schools offering the oral Irish examination at junior certificate level. I believe that many teachers are not aware it is an option in the first...

School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: There are proposals out there relating to that. I would like to think that a student attending school in Limerick, Thurles, or Offaly will get the same opportunity as one attending a gaeilcoláiste such as Coláiste Eoin Íosagáin or one in Galway or elsewhere, and that it would not just become the preserve of one group. That is what would happen if one ended up with a curriculum split in...

Regional Education Structures. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the action plan of the national forum on primary education, Ending Disadvantage. The forum was held in St. Patrick's College in Drumcondra in July 2002 and was planned by a national planning group representing all national agencies working in the area of educational disadvantage and parents living in designated areas of disadvantage. One of the...

Regional Education Structures. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: No. I fundamentally disagree with the proposal. The last thing we need is another 26 structures for education with administrative boards which would link into other administrative boards and to try to link agencies together. This would tie people up in knots going from one meeting to another. It would not serve any purpose whatsoever. It was part of a proposal made in 1995 or 1996 in a...

Regional Education Structures. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The type of system we have is probably unique in the world. We have 4,000 schools, half a dozen management bodies — all of which have responsibilities — major agencies like the National Educational Welfare Board and the National Educational Psychological Service. The Department is also involved in the school completion programmes in all of the drugs task force areas, and in local...

Regional Education Structures. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The best place for parents to get information is in their local school. That is as it should be. That is why the relationship between schools and parents is so important. The regional offices serve to make contact with people. The proposals outlined in that forum are wide ranging. They include regional structures with relative autonomy, authority, budgetary control, responsibility for...

School Curriculum. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, many positive developments in regard to the teaching of relationships and sexuality education, RSE, have taken place in recent years, and these have been further strengthened through making social, personal and health education, SPHE, a mandatory programme for junior cycle since September 2003. In addition, all schools are required to have an RSE programme at senior...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The period of that extension may not exceed 14 days. There would be no question of continuing it. That is to protect everybody, which is fair enough because we must ensure a child is not too long out of school in the event that he or she must return to it. The appeals board comprises the most eminent people who have vast experience in education. We are conscious that people involved in...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: They need not be held in Dublin. They are held in independent local areas. For example, I was going through Athlone one day and met the appeals board in a hotel. It was an independent, neutral but local area convenient to everybody.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The very reason we are introducing this legislation is that schools believed the criteria set out were insufficient to enable them to look after the health, safety and welfare of other students. The issues to which Senator Ulick Burke referred arose prior to the introduction of this Bill, when there were no criteria or guidelines and no issues for the appeals board to consider. This...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is not a teachers' union or a managers' representative body. However, it has to uphold the constitutional right of young people to an education. I share that duty as Minister for Education and Science. Each three-person board will include an inspector who has an overview of schools through visiting them regularly and who will have an understanding of the situation. The other two...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In any event, both the VEC and the Department upheld the appeal, and it made no difference at all. The issue raised by the parent pertained to the conditions attached to the appeal at the VEC level, which the student won. The parent did not like the conditions and went to the Department. In both cases, the appeal was upheld. Not all schools have the required policies in place. They...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A specific function of the National Council for Special Education, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is to identify appropriate educational placements for all children with special educational needs. The SENO is a focal point of contact for parents and schools. My officials have liaised with the NCSE in the context of the child in question. The NCSE...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with special educational needs since 1 January 2005. The council has a key role in the delivery of services for persons with special educational needs and operates through a network of special educational needs organisers, SENOs. I have been informed that the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Tenders were originally received for the project in 2004. However, due to delays acquiring the site under the redress scheme it was not possible to accept a tender at this time. Contracts for the transfer of the site have been signed and the consent of the Commissioners for Charitable Donations and Bequests has been received. However, there are a few minor legal issues that the Chief State...