Results 11,001-11,020 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 572 together. I can assure the Deputies that I am most anxious that the autism unit at the school in question becomes operational without further delay. It is difficult, however, to progress matters without the full co-operation of the school authorities. These classes are typically established with an initial staff of one teacher and two special...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. At the beginning of the current school year there are no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 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...
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: My Department estimates that there are in the region of 28,000 students in our schools whose first language is not English or Irish. In order to meet their language needs, additional support is given to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional teaching posts or portions of posts. The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is...
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science has provided funding in excess of â¬34m for the construction of nine dual use halls with enhanced facilities attached to post-primary schools. Eight of these halls are in Dublin, including the hall referred to by the Deputy, and one is in Cork. An allocation of funding amounting to â¬2.5 million was approved by the Government under the Educational...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: Information in relation to class sizes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The census for the current school year (2006/2007) is currently being worked on. Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. At the beginning of the current school year there are no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. The average...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools, including decisions on criteria for enrolment and details of waiting lists for entry to primary schools. My Department's main responsibility is to...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department.
- Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to ensuring that all children get the necessary support that they need to do well at school. In order to ensure that children whose first language is not English can fully participate at school, my Department is providing extensive training in teaching English as a foreign language for primary teachers specifically assigned to teach children whose first language is...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Small Schools Scheme 2007. All applications received under this scheme are under consideration and the list of successful applicants will be published shortly.
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Psychological Service of my Department provides psychological services to schools and does not exert any control over clinical services. Psychologists often work in close collaboration with clinical agencies in regard to children with the conditions cited by the Deputy. However, the provision of clinical services is a matter for the HSE. The Deputy will be aware that...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The funding for school buildings in 1997 was about â¬92m and this compares to a budget of â¬534m for 2007. The budget for 2007 is the first year of the rollout of the new NDP which will involve an investment of over â¬4.5 billion in school buildings over the next 7 years. This multi-annual funding will enable my Department to continue to take a proactive approach to the provision of modern...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: 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 Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have...
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: It has been confirmed by the Property Management Section of the Department that the site of the hall on Glenaan Road in Larkhill, Dublin 9 is not in the ownership of the Department. The Department's records indicate that the three primary schools in Larkhill share the facility in question. The entire site on which the three schools are located is vested for a period of 99 years from 1945. The...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The Department has an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for a new school building. Officials in School Planning Section are considering a number of options for the long term solution to the school's accommodation difficulties. Among the options being considered is the possibility of securing a greenfield site in the area and the Department's agents in this regard â the...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The criteria and procedures for the recognition of new primary schools were revised in 2002 based on the recommendations of a report of the Commission on School Accommodation, on which the Education Partners were represented. Applications for the recognition of new primary schools are assessed by an independent advisory board (the New Schools Advisory Committee) on the basis of the facts...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: The criteria and procedures for the recognition of new primary schools were revised in 2002 based on the recommendations of a report of the Commission on School Accommodation, on which the Education Partners were represented. Applications for the recognition of new primary schools are assessed by an independent advisory board (the New Schools Advisory Committee) on the basis of the facts...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a wide range of supports and additional resources to support children who have been assessed as having special educational needs, including autism. These services are determined by the type of special educational need but include additional teaching support where a child is fully integrated into a mainstream school, reduced pupil-teacher-ratios where the child is in a...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: An application received from the group referred to by the Deputy to participate in the pilot scheme, which has facilitated the establishment of a number of ABA-specific units nationwide, is under consideration by officials in my Department. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism receive an education appropriate to their needs,...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)
Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information regarding the number of children diagnosed with special educational needs who are currently in primary education is not readily available in my Department. This information will be available on the completion by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) of a nationwide database of all children with special educational needs which it is...