Results 14,261-14,280 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is engaged in the roll-out of broadband Internet connectivity to recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry pursuant to an agreement with IBEC-TIF-Telecommunications and Internet Federation. This agreement provides for the establishment of a three-year €18 million joint Government and IBEC-TIF fund, with industry...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's position is that a fully qualified primary teacher must be appointed to fill a special class post in a primary school. The person referred to by the Deputy is not regarded as qualified and therefore is not eligible for appointment to the post in question. My Department has advised the school that it must secure the services of a fully qualified primary teacher.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 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 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 — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The qualifications of the person concerned were submitted to my Department by County Dublin Vocational Education Committee for assessment on 22 December 2005. Further information was requested on 4 January 2006 and this was received on 20 March 2006. The qualifications are being assessed and the VEC will be notified of the outcome as soon as it becomes available.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result, there has been a marked increase in the demand for primary school places. My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with the development of new schools to meet this growing demand. All...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, parents, agencies working with children and society generally and I assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to do all we can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe. In the education sector vetting is available in respect of prospective employees of children in detention schools as...

Written Answers — National College of Art and Design: National College of Art and Design (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The National College of Art and Design is examining how its future accommodation needs may be addressed. As part of this examination, the college is considering with UCD the feasibility of options pertaining to the Belfield site. This is merely an evaluation of options and does not assume a decision.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has had a number of meetings with the Department of Health and Children on the establishment of a school of podiatry and a number of issues remain to be considered. Pending the finalisation of these discussions, it is not possible to advise when a call for proposals can proceed.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is planning the development of a new post-primary school in Phibblestown to serve the growing population of the Dublin 15 area. It is intended to progress the provision of the school as a design build project. My Department advertised in the European Journal for design build teams and the shortlisting of these teams is being undertaken. A project...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of therapy services is a matter for the Health Service Executive — HSE — and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. The delivery mechanism for these services is a matter for the HSE.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Coláiste Mhuire Marino has been contracted by my Department to provide the SCG examination in 2006, 2007 and 2008 on the basis of holding a main examination each year followed by a repeat examination. The main examination for 2006 was held on the 18, 19 and 20 April 2006 in a number of centres throughout the country. There were 785 applicants for the examination. Coláiste Mhuire will...

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

Mary Hanafin: Enormous progress has been made in recent years on increasing the number of teachers in our schools who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. At primary level there are now approximately 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares with...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Capital funding is being provided under the school building and modernisation programme 2006-2010 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or extended schools. Additionally I have provided for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy will be aware, at the end of last year I outlined my spending plans for primary and post-primary schools for 2006. With more than €500 million to be spent on school buildings there will be more than 1,300 projects active in schools throughout the country during 2006. I have not made any announcements on the 2006 school building and modernisation programme since the House last...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The process of appointing design teams to the building projects referred to by the Deputy is under way. Technical site inspections have been carried out to determine the suitability of the land to accommodate the two new schools and to determine the level of additional accommodation required for the school benefitting from an extension. An advertisement seeking design team consultants has...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy 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 six-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 that a shortage...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department has received an application for major capital funding from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. My officials wrote to the school authority on 10 April last requesting its agreement to the long-term projected enrolment for the school. Progress on the proposed works can be considered when agreement in this regard is secured.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The formal letter of offer has not yet issued and consequently the contract has not yet been signed. Once the project goes on site it is estimated that it will take 12 to 15 months to complete.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question was authorised to proceed to stages 4-5 — planning permission-fire certification, bill of quantities-tender documentation — of architectural planning on 14 March 2006 following a review of their revised stage 3 documentation which, subject to a number of issues being addressed in the next stage submission, was sufficiently...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department's officials have recently reviewed the stage 2 documentation. An on-site meeting has been organised for early May with the school authorities and their design team to evaluate this submission.