Results 10,701-10,720 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is determined to ensure that SSIA savers are treated fairly in the calculation of reckonable income under my Department's maintenance grant schemes. This is being achieved in two ways: Firstly, income from SSIAs is being treated exactly the same as income from similar savings and investment products; and Secondly, the reckonable income limits for student grants have been...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I announced in June 2006 that the Vocational Education Committees (VECs) would be given sole responsibility for the administration of the third level student maintenance grants and that this was part of my overall plans to introduce service improvements in the administration of the student grant schemes. The arrangements for the future administration will be provided for in new statutory...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 4,000 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 getting more support than ever...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organiser (SENO), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports such as resource teaching and special needs assistant (SNA) support on the basis of applications in respect of individual pupils. SNA support is provided specifically to...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Dr. Jim Port has been asked to assess the submission made by the Governing Body of Waterford Institute of Technology having regard to (i) national strategy for the development of Irish higher education; (ii) implications for regional development in the South East in the context of the National Spatial Strategy and (iii) any likely implications for the overall structure of higher education in...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions are ongoing between the Department, Wicklow County Council and the educational providers in the Greystones/Delgany area with a view to ensuring that the long term educational needs of the area are adequately met. All possible options will be considered and the concerns of parents will be taken into account.

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As part of the primary school curriculum Irish is a compulsory subject. Exemption from the study of Irish may, however, be granted to primary pupils under certain circumstances as outlined in Department Circular 12/96. A condition for the granting of an exemption to a pupil with a specific or general learning difficulty is that evidence of such a disability must be furnished by a qualified...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The new school will cater for up to 1,000 pupils. The Stage 3 submission has recently been received in my Department and is currently under review. My Officials will contact the Developers when the review is complete with directions as to the next steps involved in progressing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 from the school referred to by the Deputy. All applications received under this scheme are under consideration and the list of successful applicants will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the matter to which the Deputy refers. This issue is under consideration in my Department and my officials will revert to him shortly on the matter.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The announcement to which the Deputy refers was part of a series of initiatives which I was pleased to introduce to assist primary school principals with significant levels of non-teaching duties. The initiatives included provision, for the first time, for the appointment of administrative Deputy Principals in primary schools with 24 or more mainstream class teachers and for the appointment,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As I advised the Deputy on 12th December 2006, I recently announced a series of measures to assist primary school principals with particularly significant levels of non-teaching duties. The new measures include that when a school with a Principal and four or more mainstream class teachers also has a specialist autism unit, established under approval of the National Council for Special...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The appointment and assignment of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is a matter for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), subject to overall staffing limits. There are 3 SENO posts allocated to deal with matters relating to children with special educational needs in the county Kerry region. One of these is currently vacant and the NCSE has advised my Department that...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can inform the Deputy that three NEPS educational psychologists are assigned to Primary and Post-Primary Schools in Co. Kerry in the current academic year. The Deputy will, of course, be aware that all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 487 together. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) which acts on behalf of the Department in the acquisition of sites generally, was requested to source a site for the school in question. The site identified as most suitable, comprises two separate vendors. The acquisition of a site from one of these vendors is complete....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers has applied for funding under the Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007 to establish an autistic unit. Applications under this scheme are currently being assessed and I will be announcing the list of successful applicants shortly.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007. My Department is currently assessing all applications received from schools for funding under this programme. The list of successful applicants will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 482 and 488 together. I am conscious of the fact that Lucan is one of the fastest growing areas in the Country. In light of this, the Department has expanded capacity significantly at both primary and post primary level to cater for existing and newly emerging demands for pupil places. With regard to post primary capacity specifically, a new school for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has acknowledged the need to relocate the existing primary school referred to by the Deputy to a greenfield site. The acquisition of a site for this development is being actively pursued. When this matter has been finalised, progress on the proposed project can be considered under the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Improving services for children with special needs has been and continues to be a major priority for this Government. Major progress has been made in recent years. Indeed, there are now 15,000 adults in our schools working solely with children with special needs, compared to just a fraction of this a few years back. As well as providing for huge increases in staff, we have also improved the...