Results 12,121-12,140 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: 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 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is...

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

Mary Hanafin: Special need assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. The nature and level of support provided is based on the assessed needs of the individual child having regard to the criteria set out in my Department's circulars. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department is in receipt of an application for the Small Schools Scheme 2007 from the school referred to by the Deputy. The closing date for this devolved scheme was 27 October 2006. The application will be assessed by my officials and publication of the list of successful applicants for the scheme will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. Generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level for the first time are eligible for maintenance grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to...

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

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department is in receipt of an application for the Small Schools Scheme 2007 from the school referred to by the Deputy. The closing date for this devolved scheme was 27 October 2006. The application will be assessed by my officials and publication of the list of successful applicants for the scheme will be published as soon as possible.

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together. The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would require an inordinate amount of staff time to assemble. The Deputy will appreciate that my Department provides aid to all recognised schools under a variety of headings, eg., teachers salaries, transition year support grant, secretarial and caretaking...

Written Answers — Second Level Schools: Second Level Schools (9 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 to 271, inclusive, together. Details of the number of schools and pupil enrolments in each sector, as requested by the Deputy, are set out in the table. The Deputy should note that the pupil numbers include those availing of Post Leaving Certificate courses. My Department publishes data on the number of schools in each of the sector together with overall...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 to 274, inclusive, together. Details of non-pay funding, as requested by the Deputy, are set out in the table. The funding arrangements made by my Department for voluntary secondary, comprehensive & community and VEC schools and colleges reflect the different management and ownership arrangements that apply to schools at second level. Voluntary secondary...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for students with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has taken over...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2006)

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 — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Parish of Kanturk, on behalf of the school's Patron, is currently engaged in identifying and acquiring a suitable site for the purpose of constructing a new primary school in the town. An assessment of the long term projected staffing, on which the schools accommodation needs are based is currently underway in School Planning Section of my Department. This assessment will take into...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Indemnity Agreement concluded between the State and religious congregations in June 2002 provides for a fund of €12.7 million to be used by the State for educational programmes for former residents of institutions and their families. Pending the establishment of this fund on a statutory basis, my Department introduced an ad-hoc grants scheme for former residents and their families,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department sanctioned the establishment of the autism unit at St Senan's Primary School in 2005. In February 2006, approval was given to St. Senan's National School to commence architectural planning to provide additional accommodation to cater for children with specific special needs. In the interim, the school has been given approval for temporary prefabricated accommodation to cater...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A technical site visit of the proposed school premises for the Gaelscoil to which the Deputy refers was recently carried out by the Department and a technical report is currently being compiled. As soon as the technical report has been examined, the Department will be in contact with the Boards of Management of all the schools concerned regarding the next steps towards advancement of the project.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for major capital works from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works will be considered in the context of the School...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning and is one of the forty schools that I announced in April of this year to go to tender and construction. A full Design Team has been appointed to bring the proposed building project through the various stages of architectural planning. In April of this year a letter issued to the VEC...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The process of appointing a design team to the proposed building project at the school referred to by the Deputy has commenced. On behalf of the Client (the School Board of Management) my School Building Section published the advertisement seeking the relevant consultancy services on the public procurement portal, www.etenders.gov.ie, on 15 August last. The closing date for receipt of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The stage 3 submission for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department. The Board of Management as client should liaise with their Design Team to get an estimated date for the completion and delivery of the stage 3 to my Department. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The outline sketch scheme for the School referred to by the Deputy has not been received in my Department. In September of this year a letter issued to the School Authorities and the Consultant Architects on the project giving approval to carry out the combined stage 1/2 (Outline sketch scheme with costings ) submission. When this information is received in my Department, my Department will...