Results 11,441-11,460 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) recently submitted its Implementation Report which sets out its views and recommendations on a plan for the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The report is currently being examined by my Department. While the report focuses on the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1739, 1740 and 1758 together. The Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department generally on the acquisitions of sites for schools, has identified a suitable site for St. Brigid's National School in Kill. Agreement on the site acquisition has been reached subject to contract. While draft contracts have been exchanged, I am advised that the...

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

Mary Hanafin: Construction on the school building project referred to by the Deputy commenced in May 2006. The project is currently on target and it is envisaged that the school will be ready for occupation in September 2007.

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

Mary Hanafin: A Design Team was appointed on the School referred to by the Deputy on the 28th November last and the School Authorities were instructed to inform their Design Team to prepare a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costings). The stage 1/2 documentation is now awaited and when this is received in my Department, my Officials will arrange a meeting with the School Authorities and...

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

Mary Hanafin: Construction on the school building project referred to by the Deputy commenced in May 2006. The project is currently on target and it is envisaged that the school will be ready for occupation in September 2007.

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

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy was one of the sixty two projects that I announced to start the architectural planning process in January of 2006 and one that I recently announced in November 2006 to proceed to tender and construction. The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design with an additional bolt-on Special Education Tuition...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1747 and 1752 together. The recommendations in the N/M4 Area Development Plan, which was published in May 2005 by the Commission on School Accommodation, will form a vital framework in which future decisions about school planning and provision in the areas referred to by the Deputy will be made. Progress on individual recommendations will be considered in the...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that facilities for the teaching of children with autism were included in the new school building in question and are now in operation.

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

Mary Hanafin: I am familiar with the staffing and other issues in the school referred to by the Deputy. I have requested that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) formally submit to my Department an up to date report on the situation with recommendations on how to proceed.

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

Mary Hanafin: At primary level, to meet the long term needs of the Clane area, it has been determined that the existing primary school requires to be developed into a 24 classroom facility (a three stream school) with appropriate ancillary accommodation. This has been agreed with the school authority. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale...

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

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Department is in receipt of an application for large scale capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. The project has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale capital projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, there are now no less than 4,000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Furthermore, there are nearly 7,000 more primary teachers than there were in 1997. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. The number of primary teachers in Kildare has increased by 60% under this Government. The...

Written Answers — School Site Ownership: School Site Ownership (31 Jan 2007)

Mary Hanafin: The site in question is not yet in the ownership of the Minister. Its legal transfer, which is near conclusion, is being handled by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.

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

Mary Hanafin: The permanent School Building project referred to by the Deputy is at early stage of architectural planning. My Department wrote to the Design Team on the project on the 20th September 2006 requesting a stage 1/2 submission (Outline sketch scheme with costings) and this submission is expected in my Department by the end of February this year. When this stage 1/2 submission is received in my...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the local area development plan for the N4/M4 corridor is the framework document for the Department's long-term educational strategy at both primary and post-primary level for the area concerned. The recommendations in the plan are being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme subject to the published prioritisation criteria...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department has in the past operated a number of schemes to tackle educational disadvantage and reduce class sizes in schools in disadvantaged areas. These existing schemes are being integrated into the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) which I launched in 2005, one aspect of which will be more staffing for the most disadvantaged...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1762 and 1763 together. The Department has acknowledged the need for a site for a permanent building for the school referred to by the Deputy. The site on which the school is currently located is not available, however, a 0.93 acre site adjacent to the school was offered. This is even smaller than the current school site and is not adequate to provide a...

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

Mary Hanafin: The decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession is an issue that is of concern to me. I believe that it is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I genuinely believe that teaching...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department engages external project management expertise as required to work on specific building projects in order to deliver my Department's School Building Programme. At present there are 2 technical managers, 1 senior architect, 1 architect, and 14 architectural assistants in my Department's Planning & Building Unit who have qualifications in the area of project management. My...