Results 11,141-11,160 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Higher Education Grants Schemes operate under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Under the Higher Education Grants Scheme an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. An approved institution is...

Written Answers — Small Schools Scheme: Small Schools Scheme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application under the Small Schools Scheme 2007 from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. Applications under this scheme are currently being assessed and a list of successful applicants will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department both recognises specific learning disability or dyslexia as a high-incidence special educational need in schools and funds the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. I have given a very high priority to the provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading. As the Deputy is aware,...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I have asked my officials to examine the position of this school and I will advise the Deputy as to the outcome of the examination once completed.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Office of Public Works (OPW), which acts on behalf of my Department has been asked to source a suitable site for the new school at Summercove. The negotiations on the acquisition of any suitable site is a matter for the OPW in the first instance and my Department will be guided accordingly.

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy applied under the Summer Works Scheme 2007 for car parking facilities. On the 8 January 2007 I announced details of the schools to receive funding to improve facilities under the Summer Works Scheme 2007. However, due to the volume of applications received it was not possible to allocate funding to all proposed projects. My Department's School Planning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy made an application for temporary accommodation to accommodate the learning support and resource teacher. My Department has approved rental of temporary accommodation to meet this need.

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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 will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of identifying schools for...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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 will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The new action plan represents a shift...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 520 together. Following a detailed assessment of the school's long term accommodation needs, a decision was taken to provide a new six classroom school. The acquisition of the site adjoining the school has concluded and at present the transfer of the existing school site to the Minister is ongoing. The school building project will be considered for...

Written Answers — Acting Studies: Acting Studies (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the universities are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs. The universities receive a block grant from the Higher Education Authority and it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is allocated internally.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In advance of a new Catholic primary school being established in Edenderry, the Commission on School Accommodation (in its Area Development Plan for the N4/M4 corridor) and the New Schools Advisory Committee recognised the need for existing primary schools in Edenderry to consider re-configuration to strengthen their position. The NSAC finding came on foot of an application to establish a...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) is a specific area of the curriculum at all levels in primary schools. The SESE curriculum seeks to enable the child to come to an understanding of the physical world, the relationship of humans with their environment, and the historical process through which that relationship has grown. The different strands of the SESE curriculum deal...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 491 together. As the Deputy will be aware, this Government has shown an unrivalled commitment to ensuring that children and young people with special needs get the extra support they need in order to reach their full potential at school. We have dramatically expanded investment in special education in recent years and we have improved access to the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. In relation to PE facilities throughout the country generally, the PE curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different aspects of the physical...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The Department is fully aware of the need to provide a solution to the long term accommodation needs of the school to which the Deputy refers. In this regard, it is the Department's intention to permanently accommodate the school in a building which it expects to be vacated post an amalgamation of three other primary schools. The Department will be corresponding with all of the schools...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received an application for the school in question for the provision of a pre-school for 3 to 5 year olds. This application is currently being assessed and my Department will be in contact with the school.

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is managing a focused programme of investment in measures from early education to improve access to and participation in higher education by students from under-represented groups in that sector. There are clear indications that the increased investment of resources in this area over the last decade and more is now paying dividends and that targets for participation in higher...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 497 together. The Deputy will be aware that, in accordance with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application, improved...

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The student charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services. The student charge is €800 for the 2006/2007 academic year. All students who are eligible for means tested student support have the student charge paid on their behalf by the Local Authorities or the Vocational Education Committees, in addition to any maintenance...