Results 13,601-13,620 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved third-level courses in the State. There are no plans to extend this initiative to cover third level institutions in Northern Ireland. Under my Department's Higher Education Grant Schemes, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Jun 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 liaised with...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for major capital funding was received from the school authority to which the deputy refers. Officials in the School Planning Section of my Department have assessed the long-term needs of the school and have recommend the provision of an extension to the school to cater for an overall accommodation need of Principal + 8 mainstream assistants. The school authority was notified...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As advised to the Deputy recently, the school authority has submitted an application to my Department for additional accommodation to include additional classrooms and ancillary accommodation. The process of assessing the school's likely long term projected staffing in order to determine the school's accommodation needs into the future is nearing completion. When this has been finalised, a...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that my Department is engaged in the roll-out of broadband internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry following the establishment of a three year€18m joint Government — IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Fund to provide local broadband connectivity to...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The most up to date figures available to my Department show that in the 2003/04 academic year, a total of 3132 students from Louth were enrolled in full-time third level courses in the Republic. Figures available to my Department show that in the 2004/05 academic year 83 students from Louth were enrolled in Northern Irish Universities.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post primary schools in Limerick 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. The number of psychologists in NEPS has...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next September there will no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared with 2002. Not only is the average class size in our primary schools down to 24, but there is now one teacher for 17 pupils at primary level, including resource teachers etc. Children with special...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The person referred to by the Deputy was granted a career break for a period of six months from 2 July 2001 for the purpose of rearing her children. Her career break was subsequently extended at six monthly intervals at her request up to the maximum period of five years permitted under the terms of Department of Finance circular 18/98 concerning career breaks. Under the terms of the circular...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I can assure the Deputy of my concern that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying — be it physical, verbal or cyber and am anxious that all schools have effective practices in place both to prevent bullying and to deal with cases that may arise. Each school is required to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the...

Written Answers — Disruptive Students: Disruptive Students (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has currently no guidelines in relation to restraining unruly or violent children in primary schools. Should the Deputy provide my Department with specific details in relation to the case referred to, I will arrange to have the matter looked into.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Special Needs Assistants are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with special educational needs in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream school in situations where a pupil has a significant medical need for such assistance, a significant impairment of physical or sensory function or where their behaviour is such that they are a...

Written Answers — Disruptive Students: Disruptive Students (7 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has not been made aware of the incident referred to by the Deputy. Should the Deputy provide more specific details on the case referred to, my Department would be happy to examine the matter.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There is no more heinous crime than that of the sex abuser. There is no greater crime than that of the person who takes away the innocence of childhood. Society abhors the child abuser. It is the duty of the Legislature to be tough on those very abusers. There is no excuse or defence for it. For 70 years there was, rightly, no legal defence for it. The result of the Supreme Court decision is...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The post primary school to which the Deputy refers is heavily oversubscribed as a result of a significant number of pupils enrolling from outside its catchment area in the past. The school was built for a long-term projected enrolment of 1350 and currently has an enrolment of 1540. It is unlikely that there would be adequate space to accommodate pupils other than those from the catchment area...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a meeting has been arranged between officials of my Department and the vendor of the site in order to address outstanding issues in relation to the site acquisition. Although the design for the new school is already complete, Planning Permission cannot be lodged pending resolution of the outstanding site issues. However, In the meantime, the School...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers will be the subject of a major building redevelopment project. On 28 April last, the School Building Section of my Department advertised for suitably-qualified consultants to form a project design team. The closing date for expressions of interest is 23 June 2006 and following on from the assessment exercise and the formal appointment of the design team...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions are ongoing among the parties concerned to agree the structure of the amalgamation of the schools to which the Deputy refers. In the meantime, officials in the School Planning Section of my Department are in the process of drawing up a brief for the Design Team which will be appointed for the refurbishment project at the schools. A timeframe has not yet been agreed for the...

Written Answers — Soláthar Scoileanna: Soláthar Scoileanna (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tógfaigh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 200 go dtí 202 uilig le chéile. Tá iarratas faighte ag mo Roinnse i ndáil le Meánscoil Lán-Ghaeilge a bhunú i gContae Loch Garman. Tá sé curtha in iúl don iarratasóir go bhfuil Rannóg Pleanála Scoile mo Roinne i mbun athbhreithnithe ar sholáthar oideachais i Loch Garman i láthair na huaire. Tá an t-iarratas atá i gceist á bhreithniú sa...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (1 Jun 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An additional €1m is being made available under the School Books Grant Scheme for 2006/2007 to primary and second-level schools in the School Support Programme under DEIS. Schools participating in the SSP that indicate that they will operate a book/loan rental scheme in 2006/2007 will, in the case of primary schools, receive grant aid at a higher rate per eligible pupil than will apply in...