Results 12,101-12,120 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application under the Summer Works Scheme 2007 from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. All applications under this Scheme are currently being assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria. I intend to publish a list of successful applicants before Christmas. I can also confirm that the...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I regret the delay in responding to the correspondence in question. I can confirm that the matter referred to by the Deputy is receiving attention within my Department and a response will issue shortly to the person concerned.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As previously pointed out it is understood from Kildare VEC that the candidate referred by the Deputy was not eligible for the maintenance grant as the reckonable income in this case exceeded the prescribed income limit for the 2005 tax year as set out in the grant scheme. If the candidate referred to by the Deputy has any further information to add to the initial grant application it should...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All children allocated places in units for children on the Autism Spectrum have been most likely assessed by services provided by HSE prior to entry to these units. I understand that some of the children attending the school identified by the Deputy but residing in his constituency are located in the area covered by HSE South. Health services including ongoing psychological interventions have...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has been requested to source a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. The OPW is currently in negotiations for a suitable site for the school in question.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's support package for the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. The Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. The package includes...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. My Department does not collate information from the awarding authorities on the reasons why an applicant was refused a higher education grant. Failure to qualify for assistance could be for many reasons, included are those related to reckonable income, residency, nationality, previous periods of study, previous academic attainment,...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 to 212, inclusive, together. On the 1 February 2006 the Minister for Health and Children and I published the report of the Fottrell Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training. Among the recommendations of the Fottrell Group was that a graduate stream of entry to medicine be introduced and that all graduates of honours Bachelor degree...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As I have previously outlined in my response to the Deputy's question of 1st November on this issue, I confirm that I have received a copy of a report from the Single Manager of the school referred to by the Deputy. Pending consideration of the report and any necessary clarification on it, I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to release the report.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department supports a multi-skills approach to the education of children with autism, where a range of teaching methods can be applied specific to the needs of individual pupils. My Department currently has no plans to implement the Son-Rise programme on a pilot basis. The Deputy will be familiar with the variety of current provision in this regard, which includes pre-school classes for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that revised plans for the National Centre for the Visually Impaired are currently being considered by the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children. It is important that the plans be given careful consideration from both a health and an education point of view to ensure that they best meet the needs of children and young people with visual impairment into the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 to 240, inclusive, together. Information in relation to classes is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The reference date for the provision by schools of this information is the 30th September of the school year in question and the date for return by the schools is 31 October. Consequently, the details for the current school year (2006/2007)...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 246 to 258, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now 4000 more primary teachers than there were in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has agreed the terms of the recently published scheme for the award of incremental credit to Special Needs Assistants. The scheme was agreed following discussions between my Department, the Department of Finance and the Unions concerned. The purpose of the scheme is to reflect in the remuneration of a Special Needs Assistant the value of previous experience relevant to the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Within the terms of the current staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. A developing school is defined as a school where the enrolment on 30 September of one year is projected to exceed the enrolment on 30 September of the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not have a specific funding provision in respect of the operating costs of music programmes in primary schools. However, arts education, which incorporates music, is one of the seven curriculum areas that comprise the primary curriculum, (revised in 1999). Primary Teachers, as a result of their teacher training, are qualified to teach music and other areas of the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed PE Hall project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. This project was one that I announced in May of this year to go to tender and construction. The Design Team's response to my official's queries on the Stage 1 submission (site suitability, briefing and site report) has been recently received in my Department. A planning and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy states, there are three schools on the site in question. Two of these schools, however, are using the site on a temporary basis only and, as the Deputy will be aware, it is planned to ultimately permanently locate them on a site at Ongar. The site itself at Littlepace will accommodate two 16-classroom schools with a shared community facility. One of the school buildings has...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department purchased a 3.8 acre site from Menolly Properties Ltd at a cost of €2.45m for the school in question. The existing primary school building was provided at a cost of €3.6m. The extension to the school is expected to cost €4.8m. There are three schools on the site in question, Mary Mother of Hope N.S., St. Benedict's NS and Castaheany Educate Together NS. The latter two of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The provision of a 1,000 student post-primary school in Donabate is a project of the highest priority for this Government. Some weeks back I gave an undertaking that as soon as the legal process for the transfer of the site to the Department's ownership had been agreed with Fingal County Council, the project could be moved to the next stage. That has now been agreed and I am glad to have been...