Results 13,021-13,040 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: There are two primary school in the Carrigtwohill area — a boys' and a girls' primary school. The Patron of both schools has advised that both boards of management have agreed to amalgamate the schools. In order to determine the accommodation requirements of the amalgamated school the long term projected staffing on which the accommodation needs will be based, has to be determined....

Written Answers — After School Care: After School Care (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I believe that school facilities should be available to the community outside of school hours — whether for childcare, for adult education courses or as somewhere for local community groups to meet — provided this is feasible. Indeed, my Department issued a circular to the trustees, boards of management and principals of primary and voluntary secondary schools in March 2005 encouraging...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As I indicated to the Deputy in the Dáil last night the School Completion Programme is a very successful programme targeted at children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving. It is targeted at those in danger of dropping out of the education system or those who may have already dropped out. It is a broadly based programme which is cross-community and cross-sectoral. It...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (6 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The objective of the School Completion Programme is to provide a range of interventions in areas of disadvantage that support the retention of young people in education. It is based on the project model of an integrated approach involving primary and post primary schools, parents, relevant statutory, voluntary and community agencies. The programme is funded on a multi-annual basis under the...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 719 and 721 together. An application for palisade fencing to secure the sports area of the school to which the Deputy refers has been approved for funding and the works are due to commence shortly. The provision of netting was not included.

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

Mary Hanafin: In the current school year, of the 1749 permanent and temporary qualified teachers appointed for the first time at primary level, 189 are male. I am aware of the decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession, and it is an issue that is of concern to me. I believe that it is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive...

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

Mary Hanafin: Following a fire at the school to which the Deputy refers, the insurance proceeds were used by the management authority for the rental and installation of a significant amount of temporary accommodation, re-instatement works and for the upgrading of external areas. The temporary accommodation in question is of a very high quality and has a long life span. Consequently, the Department...

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

Mary Hanafin: There is an open and transparent process in place for the recognition of new primary schools. As part of the process, the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC), which is an independent body, assesses all applications for recognition against published criteria. These criteria include: There must be evidence that: The proposed school meets a need that cannot reasonably be met within existing...

Health Services. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I will take this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Department of Health and Children has been in touch with the HSE and has been advised that...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputy Shortall for raising this matter and for speaking about the school completion programme, a very successful programme targeted at children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving. It is targeted at those in danger of dropping out of the education system or those who may have already dropped out. It is a broadly based programme which is cross-community and...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The funding is not just agreed on a once-off basis but rather on a multi-annual basis. I accept that projects cannot be stop-start. A local retention plan contains strategies for the whole-school, targeted strategies for individual students and those who are already outside the formal system, as referred to by the Deputy. As we head into the holidays, this programme offers supports during...

Early School Leavers. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: That is part of the overall school completion programme. The funding allocation for next year is currently being considered and the local management committee will be notified directly on the matter. The good work being done should be borne in mind along with available resources for the rest of the programmes around the country.

School Accommodation. (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I thank Deputies O'Connor and Crowe for raising this matter on the application by St. Mark's Junior School for additional accommodation and the position in general on primary provision in the Tallaght area. I am sure the Deputies will appreciate that in providing educational infrastructure, the Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works has been requested to source a site for the school in question. That Section is currently exploring site options. As soon as a site has been acquired the building project for the school can be further considered.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: At the outset, I want to state that no school has been told that they are going to lose any of the resources that they have been receiving under pre-existing schemes for tackling disadvantage as a result of the introduction of the new DEIS initiative. On the contrary, the new School Support Programme is aimed at providing even more extra resources for the most disadvantaged schools in the...

Written Answers — Asbestos Remediation Programme: Asbestos Remediation Programme (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A nation-wide survey of primary and post-primary schools is being carried out by the Office of Public Works on behalf of my Department in order to establish the position relating to asbestos in school buildings and to undertake any remediation measures necessary. Where asbestos requiring removal is detected, either as a result of the survey or otherwise, arrangements to undertake the work in...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for a home tuition grant for the child in question. This application is currently being processed and a decision will be conveyed to the family shortly. I wish to advise the Deputy that grant payment can only be made after the tuition has taken place and confirmation to this effect has been received in my Department.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. Provision is built into the School Building and Modernisation Programme to enable schools address urgent accommodation problems such as health and safety issues, refurbishment works, additional accommodation etc. Primary schools are given an annual allocation, currently amounting to €3,809 plus €12.70 per...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are two types of study leave which teachers may avail of. Unpaid study leave allows a teacher to take a short time off without pay to study, usually before examinations, and the managerial authority of the school may employ a temporary teacher to cover the absence. The normal employment requirements apply in that schools must endeavour to employ qualified replacement teachers. The...