Results 11,301-11,320 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The selection and enrolment of pupils in second-level schools is the responsibility of the school management authorities. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking second level places in an area. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. As schools may not...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not have any provision of funding available for the re-coupment of such costs. It is standard International Practice for these fees to be charged by Conference Partners when the person concerned presents a research paper in this manner. Any issues regarding the level and payment of such fees are the responsibility of the presenter of the paper and the hosts/organisers of...

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

Mary Hanafin: Since 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools. Special Need Assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. My...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no record of receiving complaints in relation to minority religions trying to impose their views on the religious ethos of Catholic schools. Pupils and parents enjoy a number of legal rights regarding their choice of school for primary education. These derive from the Constitution, legislation and my Department's rules. Statutory rights to choice of school derives from the...

Written Answers — Vaccination Programme: Vaccination Programme (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: It is a matter for the Board of Management of the school to which the Deputy refers to make appropriate arrangements to put suitable preventative measures in place in line with the current Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland, published by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Written Answers — Pre-School Services: Pre-School Services (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1531 and 1675 together. I can confirm that my Department has received the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. The correspondence will be considered by my Department and a response will issue to the applicant in due course. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive an education...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Jan 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. My Department is currently assessing all applications received from schools for funding under this programme. The list of successful applicants will be published as soon as possible.

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

Mary Hanafin: The proposed PE Hall project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school was listed in my announcement of 29 May 2006 as a project to progress to tender and construction. We are currently awaiting a stage 2, 3 (detailed sketch scheme) submission from the schools Design Team. When the complete stage 2, 3 submission is received in my...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to above, applied under the Summer Works Scheme 2007 for the development of a new car-park area, a set down area and entrance. 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...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. Having reviewed a number of applications for home tuition, details regarding the qualifications of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department is in receipt of an application for grant aid for major capital works from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale works and was assigned a band 2 rating. The long term projected staffing for the school has been agreed...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The candidate referred to by the Deputy incorrectly submitted her student grant application to County Kildare VEC. The application is proper to Kildare County Council, which is currently examining the details in this case. The awarding body will be in contact with the candidate in question as soon as they have reached a decision on her grant application.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The decision on eligibility for third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. Officials of my Department have been in contact with County Kildare VEC, the assessing body in this case, which has confirmed that it is awaiting further information from the candidate in question in order to establish the candidate's eligibility for a third level...

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

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department. Routes are planned in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable standard of service, while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in the most efficient and cost effective manner. Bus Éireann have advised my Department that the pupils...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (31 Jan 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...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1546 and 1547 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 — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made by this Government in both the income limits and the payment levels for third level grants. It has been the practice in recent years to increase the level of maintenance grants annually, at least in line with inflation. This year, in line with this policy, I announced increases of 3% in the ordinary maintenance grant to give a...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (31 Jan 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 — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that teaching practice is an integral part of the curriculum for the training of both primary and post-primary teachers and, as such, my Department does not provide special financial assistance for students towards costs associated with teaching practice. The Deputy will be aware that teacher education programmes provided in approved third level institutions are, however,...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: At primary level, for the 2005/06 school year, the average class size excluding integrated pupils was 24.1 and the average class size including integrated pupils was 24.5. At second level, for the 2005/06 school year, the average class size was estimated at 18.9. Note: Average Class size including integrated pupils incorporates those pupils with special education provision that are integrated...