Results 11,661-11,680 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: 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 appropriate education for children with autism, is through...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Between January 2003 and the end of October 2006, a total of €47.57m was expended by my Department on the purchase of prefab accommodation for primary and second level schools across the country. The annualised details are set out in the attached table. The expenditure was for the supply and installation of prefabricated buildings including associated site works, and other costs such as...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Higher Education Grants scheme grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The Nationality requirement as set out in Clause 4.5 of the Higher Education Grant Scheme 2006 states, Candidates must: hold E.U. Nationality; or have...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to speech and language therapists rather than teachers. My Department does not have details of the levels of therapy supports available to special schools as this is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE) which is funded for this purpose. I have no plans to employ speech and language...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Departments' website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 492 together. My Department has issued guidelines to the Management Authorities of second level schools on meeting their obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act to ensure the safety and health of their employees. As in other workplaces, staff in second level schools may be victims of violent or intimidating behaviour. During the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy under the Summer Works 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's records indicate that there are seven children receiving a contribution from my Department towards their education outside the State. Six of these children are on the autistic spectrum. My Department's ongoing commitment is to ensuring that all children, including those with Autistic Spectrum Disorders receive an education appropriate to their needs and in this regard my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for funding under the Small Schools Scheme 2007. All applications received under this scheme are currently being assessed in the Department and I will publish the list of successful applicants as soon as the assessment process is complete.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are available on my Department's website. Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the two major investment priorities under the ICT in Schools Programme over the past two years have been the provision of grant aid to schools to develop their computer networks and the establishment of the Schools Broadband Network and the provision of broadband access to schools. In this context, the school concerned received a networking grant of €2,200 in...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has examined current capacity in existing primary and post-primary schools in the context of the proposed Tallaght Town Centre development. Arising from this, a submission has been made to the local authority on estimated school site and school requirements for inclusion in the local area plan. The Department has requested that two sites be reserved for the provision of four...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2006)

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 this year. The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design with an additional bolt-on Special Education Tuition room. A Design Team was appointed on the project in June of this year and following a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2006)

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 this year. The brief for the project consists of a 16 classroom Generic Repeat Design with an additional bolt-on Special Education Tuition room. A Design Team was appointed on the project in June of this year and following a...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The following is the information requested by the Deputy: Year Expenditure No. of Consultancy Firms â'¬ 2003 843,666.50 27 2004 981,469.52 32 2005 1,219,841.89 35 Consultants have only been, and are being, engaged by my Department for projects where a need for such services has been clearly established on a value for money basis.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The necessary documentation is being finalised at present and it is envisaged that the planning application for the project referred to by the Deputy will be lodged before the end of the year.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil teacher ratio (PTR) at both primary and post primary level in recent years. At primary level the ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996/97 school year to 17:1 in the 2005/06 school year and at post primary the ratio has fallen from 16:1 in the 1996/97 school year to 13.2:1 in the 2005/06 school year. When calculating the PTR, all...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (5 Dec 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The difference between the role and responsibility of a Board as employer and the Minister for Education and Science flows from the history of education in Ireland and the Constitution. The relationship of the State and schools derives from provisions in our Constitution. The State has a Constitutional obligation under Article 42.4 to provide for free primary education. As Minister, my...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Dec 2006)

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