Results 13,041-13,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The three Third Level Student Support Schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department, offer financial assistance to eligible students attending approved third level courses. Students entering approved courses for the first time are, generally speaking, eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age,...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Since the establishment of my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in 1999, the number of psychologists in the NEPS has increased from 43 to 122 at present — this includes 3 psychologists from the former National Rehabilitation Board (NRB) assigned to work with NEPS and 1 psychologist serving with another Section in my Department. A number of these posts are filled...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) that is administered by NEPS and full details of which are available on my Department's website. NEPS does not keep waiting lists for assessments of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Based on the 2006 Revised Estimates Allocation, the estimated average annual costs to the Exchequer of maintaining a student in First Level, Second-Level and Third Level education are as follows: First level €5,711 Second Level €8,131 Third Level €10,218.

Written Answers — Pre-School Services: Pre-School Services (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to the development of quality early learning opportunities for children. Following on from the publication of the White Paper on Early Childhood Education "Ready to Learn", the Centre for Early Childhood Development was established and has recently published a comprehensive draft quality framework for early childhood education. In addition, the National Council for...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Early Start pre-school project operates in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk. Targeted early childhood education provision is a key element of the School Support Programme (SSP) under the new action plan for educational inclusion DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), which...

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

Mary Hanafin: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy has recently been received in the School Planning Section of my Department and is currently being examined. My officials will be in further contact with the School Authority in this regard.

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

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department are in contact with the management of the school in question with a view to progressing the proposed building project.

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tackling educational disadvantage is one of my main priorities and the new plan for educational inclusion, DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools) aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people, from pre-school to completion of upper second-level education (3 to 18 years), from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: 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 appropriate educational placements for all children with special educational needs. The SENO is a focal point of contact for parents and schools. My officials have been advised...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

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

Mary Hanafin: The review of the one teacher schools is ongoing. As part of the review, Inspectors of my Department have been asked to submit reports on the individual schools involved. These reports on the individual schools involved are expected to be available shortly. Discussions will be held with representatives of the interested parties when all of the reports have been received and considered....

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the one teacher schools is ongoing. As part of the review, Inspectors of my Department have been asked to submit reports on the individual schools involved. These reports are expected to be available shortly. The issue raised by the Deputy will be examined when all of the reports have been received and considered.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The total amount paid for fees and expenses for the appointment of public relations from outside my Department from the year 2002 to date is €153,021.96. This comprises the award of two public relations consultancies in this period. Year Name of Consultants Purpose Cost € 2002 Dennehy and Associates Industrial relations advice 38,443.65 2004 Carr Communications...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Between June 2002 and September 2004 the following political appointees and non-established civil servants were appointed to the Office of the Minister for Education and Science: 1 Special Adviser 1 Press Officer 1 Personal Assistant 1 Personal Secretary. Since September 2004 the following political appointees and non-established civil servants were appointed to my Office: 1 Special...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. There are currently 9 staff working in my private office and 5.5 staff working in my constituency office, as follows: Private Office 1 Principal Officer 1 Private Secretary at Higher Executive Officer level 2 Executive Officers 4 Executive Officers 4 Clerical Officers 1 Special Adviser at Principal Officer level. Constituency Office...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The cumulative value of advertising placed by my Department in print media in each of the years since 2002 was as follows: 2006 ( to end June) — €426,000 2005 — €504,000 2004 — €790,000 2003 — €416,000 2002 — €1,007,000. The details as requested by the Deputy in regard to the value of advertising placed in magazines is not readily available in my Department. My...

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

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been received from the school and has been assessed and the long term projected staffing, on which the accommodation needs will be based, has been determined and notified to the school authority. In order to determine how best to provide for the school's accommodation needs into the future, it will be necessary to...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (5 Jul 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for capital funding towards the provision of a PE Hall. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria and is being considered in the context of the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2006-2010.