Results 14,181-14,200 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the 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. Since the establishment of NEPS in 1999, the number of NEPS...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (27 Apr 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 maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate courses in approved PLC centres: the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees'...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school in question is at an early stage of architectural planning. The project is currently at stage 2, the outline sketch scheme. The school was listed in my announcement of 2005 as a project to progress through architectural planning up to pre-tender stage, that is, up to and including advanced architectural planning, following the appointment of a full design...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Children who have been assessed as having special educational needs have access to a range of special support services. The services range from special schools dedicated to particular disability groups, through special classes or units attached to ordinary schools, to placement on an integrated basis in ordinary schools, with special back-up supports. The allocation of resources for children...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I made reference in recent speeches to my concern that some second level schools were not doing as much as they can to ensure that students with special needs are as welcome in those schools as students without special needs. It is difficult to ascertain hard statistical information in this area, not least because of the use of subtle dissuasion rather than outright refusal. As I indicated, I...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The information sought is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. My Department maintains details of school accommodation on individual school files. If the Deputy wishes to request details of specific schools in Cork city or county my officials will provide the information required.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's records show that for greenfield school site acquisitions finalised over the past five years to date, the average cost in Cork county was €109,222 per acre, in Cork city it was €403,647 per acre and in Dublin county it was €560,570 per acre. There were no purchases of greenfield school sites finalised in Dublin city during this time.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The inquiry report was forwarded earlier this year to a number of individuals specifically referred to in the report. The report has also been provided to County Clare Vocational Education Committee and I have asked the VEC for its proposals in the light of the report's findings, following which I will consider what action to take. Once this process has concluded, I will consider the issue of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level school management to enable schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. The supports in question include remedial and additional teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE,...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school has not been removed from the school support programme. It was not selected for inclusion in this new programme which is aimed at providing extra supports for the most disadvantaged schools in the country. Schools not included in the new programme have no reason to worry, as they have not been told that they will lose resources as a result of DEIS, rather they have been assured...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The following is a list of primary schools that have opened since 1996 in South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council areas: Monkstown Educate Together NS opened in 1997; Lucan Educate Together NS, opened in 1997; John Scottus NS, Dublin 4, opened in 1999; Griffeen Valley Educate Together NS, opened in 2002; Holy Trinity NS, Sandyford, opened in 2005; and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The 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 by the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers is a new school, which opened in September 2005. It accommodates two junior infant classes. When fully occupied, the school will operate as a two-stream 16-classroom school. To enable it develop in this manner, it can only enrol two junior infant classes annually. This incremental development is common to all newly established schools to ensure a shortage...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together. An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school building has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. An assessment of the school's current and projected accommodation needs is under way in conjunction with the school authority. The building project required to deliver suitable accommodation for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 751, 806, 878 and 879 together. The Advisory Committee for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was established in December 2001. The committee held 38 meetings over a three-year period as well as a number of other meetings at sub-committee stage. From an early stage in the committee's deliberations, it became apparent that there were divergent views among...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 752, 753, 819, 823, 841 and 844 together. The Deputies will be aware that in accordance with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government, I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students in higher education. This will provide for a more coherent administration system which will facilitate consistency of application,...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 754, 755, 758, 814, 821, 822, 830, 840, 846, 847, 854, 865 to 867, inclusive, 869 and 871 together. The new DEIS programme will be of huge benefit to schools in Mayo. I am sure the Deputies 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...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 756, 757, 864 and 868 together. The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in the new school support programme under DEIS has now been completed. As a result of the identification process, 840 schools have been invited to participate in the new programme. These comprise 640 primary schools — 320 urban-town schools and 320...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The role of the educational disadvantage committee is to advise on policies and strategies to be adopted to identify and correct educational disadvantage. The term of office of the previous committee has expired and my Department has written to the education and social partners seeking their views on the composition and future work of the next committee. These have been received and are under...

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 760 and 761 together. Issues of staff discipline in schools are matters to be dealt with by the individual school authority, as employer, within the procedures agreed between the representative management and union bodies. My Department's role is limited to ensuring that fair and reasonable procedures were applied by the school authority concerned. It is open...