Results 14,461-14,480 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Redundancy Provisions: Redundancy Provisions (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has reached agreement on the terms of a redundancy package for special needs assistants employed in primary and second level schools. I expect that confirmation of the provisions of the redundancy arrangements will issue to schools shortly. As soon as the final arrangements are confirmed, a decision will be communicated directly to the special needs assistants from whom...

Written Answers — Redundancy Provisions: Redundancy Provisions (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In general, the board has the responsibility to ensure that the school operates efficiently and effectively and also has responsibilities in regard to the action of its employees. My Department supports the principle that complaints regarding schools should be...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: A range of actions that focus on improving students' competence in spoken and written Irish and on increasing the attractiveness of the language to all learners in post-primary schools have been taken or are under way. A very significant development was the introduction in September 2004 of a revised literature course for leaving certificate Irish, which will be examined for the first time in...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department specifies the minimum academic requirements for entry to primary teacher training courses provided in the colleges of education. As part of these requirements, all candidates, including school leavers, mature students and university graduates, must have a minimum of a grade C in higher level in Irish in the leaving certificate or an approved equivalent. This requirement embodies...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site area of a primary school would be a matter that should be raised, in the first instance, with the relevant local authority. Local authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools and should ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local schoolchildren. It is open to the board of management...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 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 in question,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that my Department supports the training and professional development of staff working with children with special educational needs through the special educational support service, SESS. This service, as appropriate, consolidates, co-ordinates, develops and delivers a range of professional development initiatives and support structures for school personnel working with...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 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 resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. As the Deputy is aware, there has been enormous progress made in recent years in respect...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 484 together. As the Deputy is aware, differing funding arrangements have evolved for the different school types at second level. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding. There are however significant differences in the approaches to the funding of back-up services such as for secretaries...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department has no record of receiving correspondence from the person to which the Deputy refers. If she forwards a copy, a response will issue. In the meantime, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department recently approved the provision of temporary accommodation to meet the needs of the school for September 2006. In addition, the project for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. Legal costs incurred by the State in defending those cases which are brought to court, are not met directly by my Department. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving damages or compensation against the State, costs are generally charged to the Vote of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, as sanctioned by the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: At the outset, I want to say that I am fully conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result of this, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at primary level. My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: At the outset, I want to say that I am fully conscious that the Dublin 15 area as a whole is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the country and, as a result of this, there has been a marked increase in the demand for school places, particularly at primary level. My Department is taking a number of measures to increase the capacity of existing schools in the area concerned along with...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. Under the higher education grants scheme, an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. An approved institution is...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Claims Agency, SCA, has responsibility for deciding on the issue of costs in the case to which the Deputy refers. The SCA has said that it deals with each case on an individual basis, and that its approach here will be measured and sensitive. The SCA will be consulting my Department on the issue of costs. I agree with its opinion that the matter should be pursued in a measured and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has agreed to amalgamate with another school in the area. My Department is the process of informing the schools of the outcome of a technical inspection to accommodate this development. The proposed project has been assigned a band one rating and progress on works is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme from...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy applied under the additional accommodation scheme 2006 for one mainstream classroom. The application was successful and the school was offered funding under the permanent accommodation scheme to build a permanent classroom. In the last few days, the school authority wrote to the school planning section of my Department seeking additional funding to build a...

Written Answers — Third Level Building Projects: Third Level Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The report of the capital review and prioritisation working group under the Higher Education Authority, HEA, sets out a strategy to meet the future capital needs of the third level sector. In its submission to the review group, Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute, TRBDI, included a proposal to develop a permanent campus in the planned Clonmel technology park, Ballingarrane...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, is responsible for processing applications from schools for special needs supports such as resource teaching hours for pupils with low incidence special educational needs, SEN, and special needs assistant, SNA, support for pupils with high and low...