Results 10,441-10,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in correspondence with the management authorities of the schools to which the Deputy refers regarding amalgamation proposals. When formal agreement to the amalgamation is received from both Boards of Management, the Department will carry out an assessment of the long term projected staffing of the proposed new school and following that will also arrange a...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the circumstances of the person to whom the Deputy refers and as the Deputy is aware the matters referred to are the subject of ongoing High Court proceedings against my Department as well as the Department of Health and Children and the Health Services Executive. In those circumstances it would be inappropriate for me to comment in any detail on the particulars of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The existing models of school patronage have served the education sector well over many decades. However, it can happen in a small number of rapidly developing areas that a traditional patron is not readily available. In view of same, I announced on the 17 February 2007, that a new additional model of Primary school patronage would be introduced on a pilot basis at a school to be built in...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Government's recently published National Development Plan 2007-2013 highlights the importance of higher education skills in the economy in order to maintain competitiveness into the future. To increase the levels of workplace learning and upskilling, the Government agreed under Towards 2016 to establish a targeted fund to alleviate the fees in public institutions for part-time courses at...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the general allocation system was implemented with effect from September 2005. The new system means that rather than schools having to make individual applications to this Department for resources for pupils with high incidence special educational needs, that is, pupils with borderline mild and mild general learning disability and specific learning disability,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Department has appointed an architect directly to carry out the necessary refurbishment works for the school to which the Deputy refers. The architect will be in direct contact with the school to discuss the delivery of the project.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The recruitment and appointment of personnel to fill teaching posts, including language support posts, is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school. Agreed procedures with regard to the filling of posts (e.g. compliance with any redeployment panel arrangements in place, composition of selection boards, advertising etc) must be followed. It is the policy of my Department...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. I have made enquiries with the Commission in relation to the issue raised by the Deputy and the position is as follows. Practical coursework is accepted for assessment by the State Examinations Commission only where it has been completed by candidates under...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The job sharing scheme for Primary Teachers was first implemented by the Minister for Education and Science for the 1997/98 school year and has continued to apply since then. Boards of Management of Primary Schools are required to develop a policy on job-sharing specific to the needs of the particular school so that staff may be fully aware of the Board's position on the matter. Board's of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the report to which she refers is an internal report prepared for my Department by the National Council for Special Education. This report was not intended for publication.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department recently wrote to the school authorities regarding their Stage 1 submission (site suitability and design options) and a reply has now been received. My Department will be in contact with the school authorities shortly regarding further progression of their project....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's criteria for allocating additional supports in respect of pupils with a specific learning disability (SLD) are that such pupils have been assessed by a psychologist as being of average intelligence or higher and having a degree of learning disability specific to basic skills in reading, writing or mathematics which places them at or below the 2nd percentile on suitable,...

Written Answers — School Catchment Areas: School Catchment Areas (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960's and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. The intention was and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that officials from the Department and a consultant architect met with the school authorities concerned in recent days to discuss the delivery of the building project in question.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The closing date for receipt of applications under the Dormant Accounts / RAPID Leverage Fund Small Scale Capital Grants Scheme was 1 March 2007. The Midland Regional Office of my Department received over 1,000 applications for the scheme, including applications from both of the schools referred to by the Deputies. These applications are currently being logged and acknowledged. Once this...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers applied for capital funding under the Department's Small Schools Scheme (SSS) for 2007. The school's application was unsuccessful at this time because the school's inspector recommended that the issue of amalgamation with another school in the area be investigated before any investment in capital works is made. The school have...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is actively engaged in sourcing a suitable site to facilitate the construction of a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy and to that end is in discussions with the GMIT. The Deputy can be assured that the permanent accommodation needs of the school in question is being addressed as expeditiously as possible and the provision of a permanent building for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted. In view of this, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The July Education Programme is available to pupils with a severe or profound general learning disability or those on the Autism Spectrum. The programme has not been extended to include children with other disabilities. The pupil referred to by the Deputy is therefore not eligible for the programme.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Education Act, schools are managed by the Patron and the Patron is responsible for the direct governance of a school. The Patron nominates a Board of Management to manage a school on its behalf. Section 24 (1) of the Education Act 1998 provides that the Board of Management "may appoint such and so many persons as teachers and other staff of a school as the board from...