Results 11,121-11,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school was listed in my announcement of 30 January 2007 as a project to progress to tender and construction. A meeting has been arranged for 27 February 2007 with the School and the Design Team in order to evaluate the Stage 3 submission (developed sketch scheme). In this regard, the Board of...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The matter referred to by the Deputy is being investigated. I will arrange for a full reply to be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers. An assessment of projected enrolments, demographic trends and housing developments in the area, is currently underway in the Department and this will assist in determining the long term projected enrolment for the school on which the school's long term accommodation needs will be based. When the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: An upward trend in enrolment in recent years at the school referred to by the Deputy has necessitated a review by the Department of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends in the area in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. Upon completion of this re-assessment a decision will be...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Changes in the enrolment trends in recent years at the school referred to by the Deputy has necessitated a review by the Department of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends in the area in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. Upon completion of this re-assessment a decision will...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is one of 23 new post-primary schools being built under the Department's Public Private Partnership Programme. The site for the project is being acquired by the Department under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. In this regard, the Department has accepted, in principle, a site in Kells which was...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The National Development Plan 2000-2006 identified the need for major investment in educational infrastructure in new and refurbished buildings, new equipment and information technology to make education more relevant to the needs of a modern economy. The plan did not identify individual building projects to be addressed either on a local or county basis. It was a matter for my Department to...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, which was launched on 30th May 2005, will be implemented on a phased basis over 5 years — starting during the school year 2005/2006. It aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from pre-school to completion of upper second-level education (3 to 18 years) from...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330, 332 and 333 together. DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS brings together and builds upon the following pre-existing interventions in schools with a concentrated...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced in 1984. The scheme is being integrated into the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) which I launched last year. DEIS provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme and will bring together, and build upon, a number of...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The process of identifying schools for participation in DEIS was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. In the primary sector, the identification process was based on a survey carried out by the ERC in May 2005, from which a response rate of...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 335, to 337, inclusive, together. 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 with South Dublin County Council and the relevant landowners. When this matter has been finalised, progress on the proposed...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 339 together. The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of the Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has been asked to source a site for the school to which the Deputy refers. A number of site options have emerged and the Department is awaiting a report from the OPW which will identify a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together. The Department has acknowledged the need for a site for a permanent building for the school to which the Deputy refers. The site on which the school is currently located is not available, however, a 0.93 acre site adjacent to the school was offered by the owner. This is even smaller than the current school site and is not adequate to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is the Department's intention to construct a new 24 classroom primary school to cater for the long terms needs of the Newcastle area. The acquisition of a site for this purpose is being actively pursued. In Rathcoole the Department plans to increase post primary capacity to 1,000 pupil places. In Saggart, the Department has acknowledged the need to re-locate the existing school to a...

Written Answers — Educational Infrastructure: Educational Infrastructure (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has not been contacted by the company to which the Deputy refers. A development of the size in question is likely to be the subject of an Area Development Plan and the local authority is obliged by Statute to forward such plans to the Department for comment in the context of educational requirements for the area.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that under the Higher Education Grants Scheme, which is administered by the Local Authorities on behalf of the Department, generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants (maintenance and tuition fees) where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment....

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: A Consultant's report is necessary for the Schemes to which the Deputy refers: For a professional diagnosis of the full nature and extent of the proposed project. To verify the absolute necessity of the project. To provide a range of cost effective solutions. To enable the prioritisation of projects on the basis of professional objective information. Furthermore, the Consultant used must be...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I would refer to my reply to Question 3962 of 6 February 2007. My Department provides annual grants to VECs for the Further and Adult Education programmes they offer. The grants relate to the calendar year. The scope of any programme is governed by the budget provided. The City of Waterford VEC has applied to the Department to offset a deficit on its Community Education Programme, which is...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Funding is allocated to the Life Centre, Pearse Square through the Fund for the Development of Targeted Educational Responses to Certain Children at Risk (CAR Fund) to provide a programme for young people between the ages of 12 and 16 who are out of the mainstream school system. This fund is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan. The objective...