Results 12,981-13,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department will be discussing the issue of the future use of the property in question with the Office of Public Works to see if it has any potential for development as education infrastructure.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department had provided funding towards the operation of a pre-school transport service to the centre referred to by the Deputy. The transport service was discontinued in 2005 due to a decrease in the number of children availing of the service. My officials have recently made contact with the Chairperson of the pre-school in question concerning the matter raised by the Deputy. I understand...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Patron has offered to provide a site to accommodate the new school to which the Deputy refers and communications are ongoing with the Patron on the matter. As soon as the site issues are finalised the building projects required to deliver the appropriate accommodation will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Site acquisition is at an advanced stage. When finalised the school building project will be considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the child in question has a full-time school placement and is in receipt of 5 hours resource teaching support per week together with full-time special needs assistant support in the school. The child is also receiving support from my Department's Visiting Teacher Service. I regret that it is not possible to provide additional tuition in the home.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proper channel for a request of the type referred to by the Deputy is through the school authority which, in this case, is County Wicklow VEC. I can confirm that, to date, a formal request has not been submitted by it.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions on the implementation of the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term) Act, 2003 in the education sector are continuing with the assistance of a facilitator. The discussions include representatives of the Departments of Education & Science and Finance, the management authorities of schools and the Institutes of Technology and the teacher unions. One of the more significant provisions...

Written Answers — Irish Language Teaching: Irish Language Teaching (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The funding to assist students in attending Irish summer college courses is being disbursed as follows in 2006:- Under the scheme for payment of tuition grants to Irish Summer Colleges, which is administered by my Department, grants are paid to Colleges based on course attendance. The estimated expenditure in 2006 is €1,175,000. My Department also administers a separate scheme for trainee...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 678 and 679 together. I presume the information sought by the Deputy relates to applications from schools to my Department in relation to school building projects. I would like to draw the Deputy's attention to the series of announcements I have made so far this year as part of the 2006 School Building Programme and details of which are available on my...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school's request to have the works in question included in the main contract is currently being considered by my Department's Technical Staff. It is anticipated that a decision will be made shortly on this matter.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school's request to have the works in question included in the main contract is currently being considered by my Department's Technical Staff. It is anticipated that a decision will be made shortly on this matter.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has not formally requested support therapies for the person in question under Section 40 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is now operational. A specific function of the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is to identify...

Written Answers — Speech Therapy Services: Speech Therapy Services (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In 2004 there were 21 Speech and Language Therapy graduates and 32 graduates from Occupational Therapy. The figures for the 2005 graduates are not yet fully available. As the Deputy may be aware, in May 2002 my Department approved the provision of 175 additional therapy training places to tackle shortages of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists as...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The 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. The enrolment in the school...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the School Planning and Building Unit of my Department have no record of a request for a meeting from the school to which the Deputy refers. The school authority should contact that section directly if it has concerns which it wishes to discuss.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: 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 applied specific to the needs of individual pupils....

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Early Years Education in Ireland covers the period from birth to six years. Almost all five year olds and half of four year olds attend junior infant and senior infant classes in primary schools. Provision for children below the age of four is targeted at specific groups. Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood education...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: One of the principles underpinning the Primary School Curriculum is that the child's higher order thinking and problem solving skills are developed. Through the curriculum the child is encouraged to observe, to ask relevant questions, to recognise the essence of a problem, to suggest solutions and to make informed judgements. These skills are fundamental to engendering enterprise in our young...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: On the 1 February 2006 the Tánaiste and I published the report of the Fottrell Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training. In addition the Tánaiste published the report of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Group. These reports represent the most significant review of medical education and training ever undertaken in Ireland and are aimed at responding to the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The 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. This staffing schedule for the 2006/07 school year is outlined in Primary Circular 0023/2006 which was issued to all primary schools. As you know all primary schools are staffed on a...