Results 12,321-12,340 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department spent â¬15.17m under the ICT in Schools Programme in 2005, â¬5.59m in capital expenditure from subhead F05 and â¬9.58m in current expenditure from subhead B18. As the Deputy is aware, the major focus for my Department under the ICT in Schools Programme has been the roll-out of broadband connectivity to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership...
- Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: A subject evaluation is considered to have been completed when the report has been issued to a particular school. However there are a number of intermediate stages in this process. The draft report is sent to the school for verification in terms of factual accuracy and then the school is offered the opportunity to respond to the final report before issue. 271 subject evaluations were carried...
- Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: There is no up to date research on the number of children who do not transfer from primary to post-primary education on an annual basis. Measures designed to improve school completion include the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board in 2002 with a remit to monitor school attendance and tackle the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving, which includes the transfer...
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The participation rate of people with a disability in higher education has improved significantly over the last decade. In 2004 the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) recorded that there were over 2,700 students with a disability in higher education (about 2.4% of full-time undergraduates). This represents a major improvement from ten years earlier in 1994 when...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department has given a very high priority to the provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading such as those referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy is aware, my Department implemented a general allocation system in all primary schools with effect from the start of the 2005/2006 school year. The general allocation scheme...
- Written Answers — Stay Safe Programme: Stay Safe Programme (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The 'Stay Safe' Programme, which is also known as the Child Abuse Prevention Programme (CAPP), is a school-based approach to the prevention of child abuse operating at primary-level. The Programme aims to reduce vulnerability to child abuse through the provision of in-service training for teachers, parent education and personal safety education for children at primary school level. My...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological services either directly from the National Educational Psychological Service of my Department or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. At the beginning of the current school year there are no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. The average class size in our primary schools is 24 and there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc. Children...
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: In its 2005 Census on ICT Infrastructure in Schools, the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) asked a number of questions about technical support and maintenance. In their responses, 68% of primary schools, 55% of post-primary schools and 44% of special schools reported that they used the services of an IT contractor, where a fixed contract was not in place, while 8% of primary...
- Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of schools which would include heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, painting, teaching aids and other miscellaneous charges. The primary school capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the...
- Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135, 154 and 188 together. I am committed to the development of a Primary Pupil database as it will give us valuable data on the pupils in our primary schools as well as enabling us to better track children's progress from primary to post-primary level. The database project is linked to the development of an on-line claims system for schools for the processing...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2006)
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. Both the Disability Act 2005 and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 refer to the need to co-ordinate and plan special...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: 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) are not yet available. The most recent figures available in my...
- Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 578 together. The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under statute in 2002 to provide financial redress to victims of child abuse in residential institutions in order to assist them in their recovery and enhance the quality of the remainder of their lives. The Board received 14,541 applications by the 15th of December, 2005, the...
- Written Answers — Apprenticeship Places: Apprenticeship Places (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: FÃS registered apprentices attend Institutes of Technology for the 4th and 6th phases of their apprenticeship training and my Department provides funding to the Institutes to provide training places for these phases. The total number of apprentice training places increased from approximately 4,100 in 1997/1998 to around 11,100 in the 2005/2006 academic year. Apprentice numbers and new...
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The 2006 Estimates for my Department include a provision of â¬21.418m for the ICT in Schools Programme, â¬10m capital in subhead F05 and â¬11.418m current in subhead B18. As the Deputy is aware, the major focus for my Department under the ICT in Schools Programme has been the roll-out of broadband connectivity to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: In the 3 years since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced, over 2,000 projects have been carried out in schools nationwide at a cost in excess of â¬186m. The Scheme has allowed for significant improvements in the integrity of our school buildings such as electrical and mechanical upgrades, refurbishment of specialist rooms, roof replacement and repairs, window replacement, toilet...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 161, 163 and 200 together. The detail requested by the Deputy on the radon remediation programme is dealt with by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. The programme, which commenced in 1998, involves surveying radon levels in schools and carrying out, where appropriate, mitigation works. The programme is 100% funded by my Department and has...
- Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 152 together. Student practical work has been a major feature of science syllabi at both junior and senior cycle levels for many years and science teachers have long experience of carrying out programmes of practical work with their students. Up until recently, this practical work has been assessed through the medium of written papers in the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Oct 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Funding amounting to â¬506 million is available for the primary and post primary schools' building programme for 2006. Not only was spending by the end of September ahead of target at â¬302m, but I am confident that the remaining balance of the funding will be spent by year end.