Results 10,481-10,500 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Student Exchange Programmes: Student Exchange Programmes (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In 2004, my Department issued a Circular (M20/04) on Educational Tours both inside and outside the State to all second level schools. Authorisation to grant approval for educational tours by school groups was devolved to the school board of management subject to certain criteria including, consultation with parents and the provision of adequate insurance cover. The objective of an educational...

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

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to the Department for funding for major capital works. This application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the multiannual...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding has been received from the school authority referred to by the Deputy. A technical assessment of the proposed new site has now taken place and the project will be progressed in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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

Mary Hanafin: I can inform the Deputy that assessment or diagnosis of ADHD is a matter in the first instance for a clinician and I understand that a referral has already been made in respect of this child to the relevant authority within the Child & Family Service of the HSE. I can inform the Deputy also that the child has been assessed as recently as 12 March by a psychologist from my Department's...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the deputy is detailed in the attached spreadsheet. The 2006 figures include electricity and gas costs for my Department's ten Regional Offices which were not established until 2003. These costs were €33,673.30 and €28,325.30 respectively. Energy saving lighting (using passive infra red fittings) has been installed in my Athlone offices. OPW are to...

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

Mary Hanafin: It is a fundamental principle of the Free Post-Primary Education Scheme that schools participating in the scheme do not charge parents in respect of: instruction in any subject of my Department's programme for Secondary Schools; recreation or study facilities where all the pupils are expected to avail themselves of these as part of the school programme; any other activities in which all...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The overall gender breakdown across all grades in my Department is 66% female and 34% male. The recently published Civil Service Equality Initiatives Report made recommendations in relation to the setting of new targets for gender equality in Principal and Assistant Principal Officer grades in Government departments. In my department the target of 27% of Principal Officer posts to be filled...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 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 NCSE 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). The SENOs have been appointed...

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 including the supervision of examinations. 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: I propose to take Questions Nos. 821, 838, 861, 875, 882 and 907 together. I am pleased to advise that my Department recently sanctioned home tuition for the pupil in question and a letter to this effect has issued to the family. The issue of retrospective funding has been raised with my Department. However, it is difficult to see a basis for such a payment as a suitable placement was...

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

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700. The NEWB is aware of the student referred to by the Deputy and an...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The original decision not to grant an exemption from the study of Irish to the pupil referred to by the Deputy was reviewed by my Department in the light of the latest evidence submitted. My Department is satisfied that the circumstances of the pupil in question are not such as to merit an exemption from the study of Irish and, accordingly, a reversal of the decision is not warranted.

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

Mary Hanafin: The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early intervention for pre-school children with autism. I am...

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

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans for specialist schools for particular nationalities. The national curriculum is an important cornerstone of our Irish education system which ensures that all students are exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum which is based on international best practice. There is provision for exemptions from the study of Irish for students who entered education after 11 years of age...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., would be a matter that should be raised in the first instance with the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools and should ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local school...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except in exceptional cases where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case of...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Mar 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the table. 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...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria and is being considered in the context of the multi annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers is among the list of successful applicants recently published who will receive capital funding under the Small Schools Scheme (SSS) 2007. All the schools approved for funding under the scheme have been contacted directly by the Building Unit of the Department with details of the grant aid being provided and instructions on...

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

Mary Hanafin: The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. In 2006 a review of a number of applications for home tuition highlighted some cause for concern...