Results 12,501-12,520 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Care and Education was sanctioned by my Department as part of the 2005/06 Programme for the Institute of Technology Tralee. The course was sanctioned on the understanding that the Institute was satisfied that it could meet the operational costs of the full cycle of the course and there would be no additional staffing requirements for the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school was offered and accepted a devolved grant in 2005 to provide an additional permanent classroom. The grant on offer was subsequently increased, at the request of the school authority, to include the provision of a resource room. In June 2006 additional funding was approved to cover unforeseen building costs. In August 2006 the school received approval for further additional...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs, such as: learning support/remedial and resource teaching support; special needs assistant support; funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been established as an independent statutory...

Written Answers — Lár-Ionad Náisiúnta Oideachais Gaeilge: Lár-Ionad Náisiúnta Oideachais Gaeilge (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Bhí cruinniú le hoifigigh as mo Roinn le páirtithe leasmhara le déanaí maidir le Baile Bhuirne. Tar éis do na tuairimí a nocht na páirtithe leasmhara ag an gcruinniú sin a bheith measta, táim ag súil go mbeidh mé ar mo chumas cinneadh deiridh a dhéanamh go rí-ghairid ar an dtionscadal.

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy is aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological services either directly from assigned psychologists based in the National Educational Psychological Service or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments, details of which are available on my Department's website and which is administered by NEPS. There has been some movement of...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school for a particular school year is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. The staffing schedule for the 2006/07 school year was outlined in Primary Circular 23/06 which was issued to all primary schools. The staffing of the school referred to by...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: County Kildare Vocational Education Committee, the school authority in this instance, is currently negotiating with the Department of Defence with a view to acquiring a suitable site for the new school. As soon as a site has been acquired progress on the project will be advanced.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has recently sanctioned the establishment of an early intervention class for autism in the school in question.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received an application for capital funding towards the provision of a new building for the school referred to by the Deputy. My officials are in the process of assessing the school's long term projected staffing in order to determine the school's accommodation needs into the future. Factors to be considered include current and projected enrolment, demographic trends in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 331 together. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably through the primary and post primary school network. My Department supports an eclectic approach to the education of children with autism where a range of teaching methods can be...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The School Support Programme will bring together, and build upon, a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. The process of...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The following table contains the information requested for the years 2003-2006. The information in respect of the year 2002 is not available. The detailed information sought by the Deputy was not held by the Department until the system was computerised in 2003. Info 2003 2004 2005 2006 No. of Requests 2,736 1,840 3,716 952 App. Fees â'¬1,095 â'¬2,090 â'¬1,575 â'¬1,515 Ret. Fees...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examinations and issuing the results of examinations. Arrangements for the assessment of candidates with special needs in the certificate examinations were the subject of lengthy consultation and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy has not provided any details I cannot comment on the specific case to which he refers. However, I am aware that some second-level schools do not appear to be doing as much as they could to ensure that students with special needs are as welcome in those schools as students without special needs. I expressed my belief in this regard at the Annual Conference of the National...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An upward trend in enrolment in recent years has necessitated a review by my Department of demographic trends, housing developments and enrolment trends in the area in order to ensure that any capital funding provided will deliver accommodation appropriate to the school's need into the future. Upon completion of this assessment a decision will be conveyed to the school on how best to provide...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The location of the two centres in question are Carlow and Waterford. I can confirm that my Department has requested the names and psychological assessments of the children being proposed for an ABA unit in Clare. A meeting between my officials and representatives from Clare Autism Action is scheduled for next week.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing in the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2006/2007 school year is as follows: 1 Principal Post 2 Mainstream Class Teacher Posts 6 Permanent Developing School Posts 1 Permanent Learning Support/Resource Post 1 Permanent Special Class Post 3 Temporary Language Support Posts. My Department recently received the September Salary Return form from the Board of Management of the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware the new school to which he refers opened in September 2005. The school was given approval to enrol two Junior Infant Classes per year and, when fully occupied, will operate as a two-stream 16-classroom school. This incremental development is common to all newly established schools to ensure that a shortage of accommodation at the school is avoided by an over-enrolment...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (19 Oct 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy can be assured that my Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve PE facilities for all pupils attending primary schools. The provision of such facilities is an integral part of the design process for new school buildings or where an existing school building is undergoing major...