Results 11,021-11,040 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information sought in respect of the number of children with special needs who are in primary education in the Cork City and County area is not readily available in my Department. Following the introduction of the general allocation model, primary schools do not need to apply to my Department for support for children with high incidence special educational...

Written Answers — Pre-School Services: Pre-School Services (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The vast majority of support for childcare, including pre-school education, is not provided by my Department, but rather by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP). This Government has provided unprecedented levels of funding for childcare in recent years. €499.3 million was allocated to the EOCP 2000-2006 and some 41,000...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 556 together. I can confirm to the Deputies that the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital works from the Board of Management of the school to which the Deputies refer. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating....

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...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 to 536, inclusive, and 538 to 543, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I would like to inform the Deputy that exploratory talks have taken place between the trustees of the schools referred to by the Deputy. As with any proposed amalgamation, a decision to amalgamate is a matter solely for the school's Patron or Trustees. My Department's role is to facilitate any such proposals or discussions between the relevant parties.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Information is not available in the format requested by the Deputy. My Department published on its website last year a document entitled "School Building Programme Key Achievements 2000 to 2005" which includes a list of some recently completed large-scale school building projects.

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the European Schools is a group of thirteen co-educational schools established at various locations in the EU to serve the needs of children whose parents are officials of the EU Commission, European Parliament and other official European organisations. The schools have been established by an intergovernmental treaty — the Convention of the European Schools —...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The European Schools is a group of thirteen co-educational schools established at various locations in the EU to serve the needs of children whose parents are officials of the EU Commission, European Parliament and other official European organisations. The schools have been established by an intergovernmental treaty — the Convention of the European Schools — to which Ireland is a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A re-assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area has recently been completed in the Department and the long-term projected staffing has been notified to the school authorities. My Department will draw up schedules of accommodation for the project which will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme.

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. The average class size at post-primary level is not readily available in my Department. Major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. At the beginning of the current school year there...

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 — Medical Training: Medical Training (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Although alcoholism is not dealt with as a stand-alone module in university faculties of medicine, it does feature as an important issue in a broad range of courses taken by undergraduate medical students, including, behavioural science, pharmacology and psychiatry. Furthermore, students encounter alcoholism as an issue, such as it arises, in the cases they deal with in clinical practice.

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department received a complaint from the person referred to by the Deputy in late 2005. In accordance with my Department's procedures, details of the complaint were sent to the Board of Directors of the school for their views. On the basis of the information supplied by the complainant, the response received from the school authorities, and the time period which had elapsed since the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local special educational needs organisers (SENO), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports, including special needs assistant support. The SENOs also convey decisions on the applications directly to schools. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that the...

Written Answers — Pupil Numbers: Pupil Numbers (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However, should the Deputy require information in relation to a specific school, or schools, I would be happy to arrange to have this provided.

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I received correspondence from the person referred to by the Deputy in relation to his functions as a member of the Governing Body, and have responded to the correspondence. The functions of the Governing Body and Management of the Institute are set out in the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992- 2006. Given the statutory position, it is not appropriate for my Department to pursue matters on...

Written Answers — School Textbooks: School Textbooks (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together. Significant improvements are being made in regard to the provision of suitable high-quality textbooks and teaching materials specifically for use in Gaeltacht and other all-Irish schools through the work of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. In 2006, my Department allocated €831,000 to An Chomhairle of which...

Written Answers — Language Support Programme: Language Support 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 — School Meals Programme: School Meals Programme (13 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 561 and 562 together. On 17 January last my Department invited applications under the Dormant Accounts (Educational Disadvantage) and RAPID Leverage Fund — Small Scale Capital Grant Scheme for Schools. A total of €18 million has been made available to my Department from the Dormant Accounts Fund and the RAPID Leverage Fund to fund projects under the scheme...