Results 12,341-12,360 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 196 together. The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. In view of this, I have forwarded the Deputies' query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to them.

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Home/School/Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is a major mainstream preventative strategy targeted at pupils at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system because of background characteristics which tend to affect adversely pupil attainment and school retention. The scheme is concerned with establishing partnership and collaboration between parents and teachers in the...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought by the Deputy is provided in the table below. Region No. of Psychologists Director 1 Eastern Region (ECA) 10 Eastern Region (Northern Area) 13 Eastern Region (South Western Area) 17 Midlands 6 Mid-Western Region 8 North-Eastern Region 11 North-Western Region 7 South-Eastern Region 14 Southern Region 18 Western Region 13 Not Assigned by Region 5 Total 123

Written Answers — School Completion Programme: School Completion Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 170 together. The majority of the 412 schools currently in the School Completion Programme, operate some level of breakfast or other meal provision, in accordance with the Nutritional Guidelines issued by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. In addition to being able to use funding from the School Completion Programme, the provision of school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Children who have been assessed as having special educational needs (SEN) have access to a range of special support services. The services range from special schools dedicated to particular disability groups, through special classes or units attached to ordinary schools, to placement on an integrated basis in ordinary schools, with special back-up supports. The Deputy will be aware that the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Colleges: Higher Education Colleges (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently no proposals to introduce a Graduate entry programme in Veterinary Medicine. However, the Veterinary Medicine programme in University College Dublin has, since 2001, had a process to admit a small number of graduates. This is a separate entry route, but not a separate programme: the curriculum followed by the graduate entrants is the same as that pursued by...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding to 12 Stand Alone facilities providing an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) specific methodology on a pilot basis. These units currently provide in the region of 217 places for children with autism. Approval has also been given for the establishment of a further two such facilities. My Department considers that children with autism, in common with all...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 160, 165, 172, 207 and 217 together. With regard to the number of schools which offer the full complement of science subjects to leaving certificate level, the Deputies will be aware that the curriculum offered to students attending a post-primary school is a matter for the authorities of the schools concerned subject to meeting the Department's regulations...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The provisions for appointment of a visitor to a university are set out in Sections 19 and 20 of the Universities Act, 1997. It provides that "where the Minister is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for contending that the functions of a university are being performed in a manner which prima facie constitutes a breach of the laws, statutes or ordinances applicable to the...

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Last June saw a major advance in terms of the transparency of our education system, as school inspection reports became available to the general public for the first time. The publication of whole-school evaluation reports will ensure that parents and other stakeholders have access to balanced and fair information on the wide range of activities in which schools are involved. WSE reports...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: 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 programmes should be eligible to apply. It is anticipated that the...

Written Answers — Educational Programmes: Educational Programmes (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that 'Incredible Years' is one a of number of preventive programmes emanating from the United States of America focusing on early intervention with children and their parents in the context of managing behaviour. I am informed that the focus of the programme is on improving outcomes for children, aged 4 to 9, who demonstrate emotional/ behavioural difficulties in a school...

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 — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I have no plans to introduce driver education, in the form of driving lessons, in schools, and this is not the norm within the EU. As the Deputy may be aware, a report produced for the NCCA by an expert group which included representatives of the National Safety Council, the Garda Síochána, the Irish Insurance Federation, and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry indicated that the...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 185 together. The Deputies will be aware that the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools recommended that section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, be reviewed and amending legislation brought forward. I am pleased to inform the Deputies that the Office of the Parliamentary Council is drafting a new Education (Miscellaneous Provisions)...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There has been no change in the policy with regard to the qualification requirements for appointment to Learning Support (formerly Remedial) posts in primary schools. Boards of Management are obliged to recruit and employ fully recognised and probated teachers for any vacancies arising for Learning Support/Resource Teaching (LS/RT) posts. Any posts that comprise an element of general...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 180 together. Earlier this year I announced an implementation strategy following publication of "School Matters", the Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in Second Level Schools, and that strategy is now well advanced. At the core of the recommendations of the Task Force was the putting in place of a National Behaviour Support Service. This...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. The results of examinations are publicised widely in the media and are also available on the Commission's website at www.examinations.ie. Please see following table. Leaving...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of an application from the VEC for registration as school patron in respect of two primary schools. This application and the related issue of the principle of a VEC being a patron of a primary school is under consideration in my Department and a decision will be notified to the VEC in due course.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (24 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 201 together. It is my belief that a well planned Physical Education programme has a vitally important role to play in a broad and balanced curriculum for our primary and second level students. At primary level, Physical Education is one of seven curriculum areas within the revised Primary School Curriculum which was introduced in 1999. A minimum of...