Results 14,161-14,180 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy with regard to schools in County Kerry which have applications with my Department for new schools, refurbishments or extensions is not readily available in the format requested. However, should the Deputy have queries relating to specific individual schools officials in School Planning Section of my Department would be happy to assist. With regard to...

Written Answers — Environmental Assessments: Environmental Assessments (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Strategic Environmental Assessment is the formal evaluation of the likely significant environmental effects of implementing a plan or programme before a decision is made to adopt the plan or programme. The European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 set out the plans and programmes that Strategic Environmental Assessment applies to —...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The School Planning Section of my Department is in receipt of an application for a General Purpose room and ancillary accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 4 rating. Progress on the proposed works will be considered in the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 504, 515 and 523 together. For the purposes of determining grant eligibility under my Department's Maintenance Grants Schemes, reckonable income is defined for the purposes of the 2005 Scheme as all amounts received or receivable by an individual without reference to his/her residence or domicile, from both Irish and foreign sources, which are liable to Irish...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 to 507, inclusive, together. The new DEIS programme will be of huge benefit to schools in Mayo. I am sure the Deputy would agree that it is important to make sure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities get all the extra support possible and will welcome the extra resources that DEIS will provide for Mayo schools. I can assure the Deputy...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is currently considering the staffing requirements for the 2006/2007 school year in the case of the school referred to by the Deputy. In this regard, I wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department will be in contact with the school shortly.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Irish national daily newspapers are not in general made available on-line to staff in my Department. The following is the distribution in respect of those who receive one daily newspaper: Minister, Minister of State and Advisers: 4; Secretary General, Assistant Secretaries General or equivalent: 7; Principal Officers or equivalent: 34; Assistant Principal Officers or equivalent: 79;...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I recently announced the appointment of Mr. John Fitzgerald, City Manager, Dublin City Council as Chairman of the Grangegorman Development Agency. Mr. Fitzgerald will formally take up the role of Chairman following the signing of the establishment order for the Agency. I intend signing this order in the next number of days.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The policy principles underpinning all Department of Education and Science guidance initiatives are based on the EU Resolution on Guidance which was adopted by the Council of the European Union in May 2004 during the Irish Presidency. The Resolution links lifelong guidance to lifelong learning and stresses that, as appropriate and given local circumstances, all European citizens should have...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 513 together. My Department has provided funding in excess of €34m for the construction of nine dual use halls with enhanced facilities, attached to post-primary schools. Eight of the halls, including the hall referred to by the Deputy, are in Dublin and one is in Cork. Allocations from my Department to post-primary schools are intended to cover...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 516, 518 and 521 together. The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the different management and ownership arrangements for Vocational schools and Community Colleges, Comprehensive & Community schools and Voluntary Secondary schools. At the core of funding arrangements at second level is a reliance upon capitation as the...

Written Answers — Insurance Costs: Insurance Costs (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not collect data on the insurance costs per pupil in schools as it is a matter for the managerial authorities of the individual schools to arrange insurance cover on school property and against public liability. My Department does however provide funding to primary and secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which afford schools considerable flexibility in the use of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, there has been enormous progress made over the past number of years in relation to increasing the number of teachers in our schools who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. I can confirm that there are approximately 450,000 children enrolled in primary schools nationwide. At primary level there are now...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's second report on school retention, published in October 2005, is based on a detailed analysis of the records held in the Post-Primary Pupils Database for the cohort of entrants to the first year of the junior cycle in each of the years 1995 and 1996. It must be noted that the figures refer to retention in State-aided second level schools only. They do not take account of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is supplied to my Department on an Annual Return form by each primary school. The forms are then processed in the Department so that national data can be updated for the relevant school year. For the current school year (2005/2006), all schools were requested to have forms returned by 31st October 2005. To date, some schools have not returned their...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 May 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Ensuring that all children get the support that they need to do well at school is a major priority for this Government. In order to ensure that children with low levels of competence in the English language can succeed at school, my Department gives additional support to their schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional temporary teacher posts or portions of teacher...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The person in question, as a permanent whole-time teacher, was a member of the local government superannuation scheme during her service with Wexford Vocational Education Committee in the period 1952-53. On resignation from her employment with the VEC, the pension contributions which she had paid were returned to her. The minimum period of service needed at that time to qualify for payment of...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The appeal by County Roscommon VEC for an increased allocation of funding under the additional accommodation scheme 2006 is currently under consideration in the school planning section of my Department. The outcome of this appeal will be conveyed to the management authority of the school shortly.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed refurbishment and extension project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The additional documentation requested has been received in my Department and is currently under examination. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction will be considered in the context of the school building and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Department's maintenance grants schemes, and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Act 1992, a mature student is defined as a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course. Under the terms of my Department's 2005 third level student maintenance grant schemes the position is...