Results 13,841-13,860 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In recent years a new planning model was introduced for educational infrastructure to ensure that, in future, school provision is decided after a transparent consultation process. In this regard, trustees, parents, sponsors of prospective schools and all interested parties from a locality have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the process. A draft area development plan for North...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to assure the Deputy that no school has been told that they are going to lose any of the resources that they have been receiving under 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 country....

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy has now been finalised and is set out in the tabular statement below. This provides a full listing of all contracts in the years concerned together with the relevant details. The information in respect of 2006 is based on financial provision for the respective projects. Because of the scope and detailed nature of the information sought, it was necessary...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The contract for the translation of the Harris report — Irish in Primary Schools: Long-term National trends in Achievement was awarded to Europus Teoranta, An Cheathrú Rua, Co. na Gaillimhe. The contract price agreed was €160.00 per 1000 words. The total estimated cost for translating the report which contains 80778 words in total and including VAT at 21% will amount to €15,638.62.

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The RAPID programme is designed to harness the opportunities and resources of the national development plan through the front loading and prioritisation of investment in the 45 disadvantaged communities (25 urban areas and 20 provincial towns) identified in the programme. In accordance with the aims of the RAPID programme, my Department endeavours, where possible, to frontload resources to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled at present. I will arrange for the information to be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 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 to all primary schools each year. According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to provide additional classroom and ancillary accommodation has been received from the school. The project, as will all other applications for school development work, is assessed in accordance with the prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects which, as the Deputy will be aware, was published following...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of Post Leaving Certificate courses (a) The Higher Education Grants Scheme; (b) The Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme; (c) The Third Level Maintenance Grants...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Health Service Executive (HSE) has direct responsibility for provision for young adults over eighteen years of age with special needs. The Deputy will be aware that part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 provides a statute-based right to an assessment of disability-related health, personal social service and education needs. My Department is unaware of any...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my 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 has been assigned a Band 2 rating. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be pleased to learn that the school referred to has been allocated funding under the Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2006 to provide a resource room at the school. This is in addition to the funding already approved under the Scheme for the provision of an additional mainstream classroom.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I want to state emphatically that no school has been told that they are going to lose any of the resources that they have been receiving under 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 country....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A new 1,000 pupil post primary school is being provided for Donabate. This will be delivered by way of a Public Private Partnership. Site issues and the management model for the new school are currently being worked on in my Department. When these matters have been finalised, the school will be included in a PPP bundle for delivery. The project has already been assigned a Band 1 Priority...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department contacted Kildare County Council, the awarding body in this case, and was advised that they are awaiting documentation from the college before they can finalise their decision regarding eligibility for funding in respect of a field trip. The candidate will be advised of the outcome of the decision by Kildare County Council as soon as it is reached.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that since the McGuinness report was published, significant improvements have been made in the actual pupil teacher ratio at post primary. The ratio has fallen from 15.1:1 in the 1999/00 school year to 13.4:1 in the 2004/05 school year. The reduction in the pupil teacher ratio since 1997 was achieved through the creation of almost 1,800 new posts and the...

Departmental Expenditure. (24 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: He is worth it.

Written Answers — Legal Proceedings: Legal Proceedings (23 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Given that this matter is currently the subject of legal proceedings and is before the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter at this time.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (23 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The need for a new school building on a new site for Blennerville National School is acknowledged by my Department. A suitable site has been identified and contracts for the acquisition of this site have been signed. In the interim, my Department has recently approved the provision of a prefabricated classroom to alleviate immediate accommodation difficulties. Once the site acquisition is...

Written Answers — School Completion Programme: School Completion Programme (23 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: There are currently 82 School Completion Programme (SCP) sites in 21 counties (108 post-primary schools and 302 primary schools) with 53 second level schools participating in the Stay in School Retention Strand (SSR) of the School Completion Programme in 17 counties, targeting approximately 23,000 young people at risk of early school leaving. Each School Completion project employs a local...