Results 11,241-11,260 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, only eligible children qualify for free transport. In order to be eligible, children must live at least 3.2 kilometres from, and be attending, their nearest national school. Bus Eireann have advised that the service currently in operation is catering for all eligible pupils that have applied for transport. However, children who do not...

Written Answers — National Minimum Wage: National Minimum Wage (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department and will be sent to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The pupil referred to by the Deputy is currently enrolled in a special class with a pupil teacher ratio of 6:1. I understand that the pupil also has the support of an individual special needs assistant (SNA) and there is another SNA and a careworker based in the class. The pupil is availing of the maximum support possible and I understand that the school is satisfied that the pupil has been...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1421 and 1435 together. My Department is of the view that children with autism, in common with all children should have access to appropriate provision delivered by suitably qualified teachers within the school system where children can mix with their wider peer group and have maximum opportunities for integration. The preferred approach to the provision of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance (sometimes known as the 'top-up' grant) a candidate must meet a number of conditions, including the following: 1. An applicant must qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant. 2. Total reckonable income in the relevant tax year must not exceed the lower income limits as set out in the relevant Maintenance Grant Schemes and, where...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school to which he refers is included among over 970 schools approved for funding under the Summer Works Scheme for 2007. The school has been approved for roof works. All successful applicants will be contacted shortly by the Building Unit of the Department with details of the grant aid being provided and instructions on how to proceed.

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provided an amount of €73,813 funding aid for the programme in question in 2006 via the City of Dublin Youth Service Board (CDYSB). An application for additional funding in 2007 for the programme has been received from the CDYSB on behalf of the programme organisers. Funding allocations for 2007 are currently being examined and consideration will be given to this request in...

Written Answers — Higher Education Facilities: Higher Education Facilities (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: In the State as a whole, there are over twenty publicly-funded higher education institutions — seven of which are universitiesand fourteen institutes of technology. In its review of Irish Higher Education published in 2004, the OECD observed that Irish Third Level Institutions were relatively small by international standards and that this posed particular challenges in terms of achieving...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1426, 1427, 1472 to 1477, inclusive, and 1534 to 1536, inclusive, together. As the Deputies will be aware the recent Census preliminary figures confirm the Fingal area of Dublin as the fastest growing area in the country. The Department is of the view that between primary and post primary level, some 20 new schools will be required there over the coming...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: 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 state examinations for young people with special needs....

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Following a detailed examination of the case by my Department a comprehensive written reply to the enquiries was sent to the person concerned on 15 December 2006.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann has reported that the pupils referred to by the Deputy have a service operating within the guidelines of the School Transport Scheme. The service has also been reviewed by the Independent School Transport Appeals Board, which has deemed it suitable. Queries regarding the supervision of pupils should be addressed to the Chairperson, Board of Management of the school in question.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is desired. It appears that no such advice or instruction has, to date, been sought in the case of...

Written Answers — Career Guidance: Career Guidance (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The NCCA has published on its website a draft curriculum framework for guidance in post primary education. This draft document has been sent to all schools and relevant organisations for feedback by the end of February. It was developed through the NCCA's consultative structures, which included representation from the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, and it was approved for consultation by...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: Following discussions between my Department, the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA), my Department has agreed an increase in the value of the award for students under the IRCHSS Postgraduate scholarship scheme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Jan 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. My officials have been in contact with the NCSE regarding the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The NCSE has advised that the SENO...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the new action plan for educational inclusion will focus on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from preschool through second-level education (3 to 18 years). The action plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased that my Department was in a position to make a one-off grant aid payment of €50,000 in December 2006 in respect of the programmes and activities of the club in question. My Department has received a further application from the club in question under the 2007 Special Projects for Youth Scheme. Funding allocations for 2007 are currently being examined by my Department and...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1438 and 1439 together. Data in relation to waiting lists and the allocation of school places is a matter for the Boards of Management of individual schools. Any school can apply to the Department for additional accommodation to meet its needs. There are a number of ways in which this can be done. For example, schools were recently invited to apply for...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The examination of the information supplied in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers is currently under way. As part of this examination an analysis is also being carried out on matters such as population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the immediate demand for...