Results 12,861-12,880 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Agreement was reached some years ago, between the authority of the school referred to by the Deputy and the authorities of two other schools in the area to amalgamate. A new school to provide accommodation for the amalgamated school is currently under construction to cater for a mainstream staffing of P+8. I have recently received a request to meet representatives of the Board of...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1336 and 1352 together. It is important for me as Minister for Education and Science to reiterate at the outset of this answer that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA),...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Our schools promote, support and encourage physical exercise in a range of ways. The subject Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is part of the core curriculum for all pupils in primary schools and in the junior cycle of second level schools. The SPHE curriculum offers particular opportunities, in an age-appropriate way, to foster the personal development, health and well-being of...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The contents of correspondence to which the Deputy refers is under consideration in the Department's Building Section. It will be responded to as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Children Act 2001 (Part 11) (Commencement) Order 2003 (SI No. 527 of 2003) brought Part 11 of the Children Act 2001 into operation on 7 November 2003. This established the Special Residential Services Board on a statutory basis. The order was signed by Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Mr. Brian Lenihan TD, following the signed consent of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, given the distinctive structure of the Irish economy and specifically, the comparatively high proportion of our GDP that is expatriated as profits of foreign direct investment enterprises, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is not a good indicator of the relative resources available in the case of Ireland. For example, the difference in magnitude between Ireland's GDP...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Sep 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 including children with hearing impairment. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. As the Deputy is aware, there has been enormous...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of 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 was assigned a Band 2 rating. A request has issued to the local inspector seeking updated...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second level schools should offer Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme should be based on the Department's approved syllabuses and teaching hours should be registered on the school timetable. The syllabuses in Physical Education have been developed on the basis of a time allocation of two hours per...

Written Answers — Schools Funding: Schools Funding (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements in the level of funding for voluntary secondary schools have been made in recent years. In addition to the increases in the standard per capita grant that now stands at €298 per pupil from January last, voluntary secondary schools have benefitted additionally by the introduction of grants under the School Services Support initiative. The standard support services...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Part 10 of the Children Act 2001 relates to the governance and operation of children detention schools. Section 159(1) of the Act has been commenced for the purpose of allowing 3 representatives of children detention schools to be appointed to the Special Residential Services Board. However, the remaining provisions of Part 10 of the Act have not been commenced. As the Deputy will be aware,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the School referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. This School was one of the twenty five 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...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The amalgamation of the schools to which the Deputy refers is due to take place with effect from September 2007. A large scale building project is currently on site to facilitate this development.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to inform the Deputy that discussions are on-going with the school authorities of Scoil Pádraig, Athy in relation to a possible rationalisation/re-configuration of primary educational facilities in the area concerned. I can assure the Deputy that the Department will take every step to ensure that the discussions referred to will be concluded as quickly as possible so that a solution...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I share the Deputy's concern that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying — be it physical, verbal or cyber and I assure him that supports are in place to enable schools both to prevent bullying and to deal with cases that may arise. For a start, each school is required to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of the Department has received an application for major capital funding from the management authorities of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question received approval from the Department to proceed with the rental of prefabricated accommodation to cater for its needs this September. To cater for its long terms needs, the school was recently requested to update its application for large scale capital investment. It is intended to examine the needs of all primary schools in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. The relevant circular (0023/2006) issued to all schools in March 2006. Under the staffing...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Sep 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued annually to all primary schools. The relevant circular (0023/2006) issued to all schools in March 2006. Under the staffing...