Results 14,521-14,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The management authority of the school in question, County Kildare Vocational Education Committee, is progressing plans to relocate the school and extend the capacity to 1,000 pupils. A formal planning application has been lodged with the local authority. That authority has asked for further information, which the committee's consultants are now in the process of providing.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department received the stage 3 submission, the detailed plans and costs, from the school authorities on 21 March and when this is reviewed, it will be in further contact with the school authorities as to the next steps involved in progressing the project.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 to 557, inclusive, together. The schools referred to by the Deputy are three of 62 major building projects announced by me in January last to commence architectural planning in 2006. In all, 1,300 building and modernisation projects will be active in our primary and post-primary schools during 2006. Capital expenditure on primary and post-primary schools...
- 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 referred to...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The Government has invested in the largest school building programme in the history of the State. Between 1998 and the end of 2004, almost â¬2 billion was invested in school buildings and in the region of 7,500 large and small projects were completed in schools, including 130 brand new schools and 510 large-scale refurbishments or extensions. Funding for schools building and renovation...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 561 and 562 together. My Department's policy is to ensure the maximum possible integration of children with special educational needs, SEN, into ordinary mainstream schools. Where mainstream provision is not appropriate children can be catered for in special schools that are dedicated to particular disability groups. There are 106 special schools in the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Applications for major capital funding have been received from two schools in the Clane area. As part of the assessment of those applications, consideration has been given to the long-term demand for pupil places in the area to ensure that any extra provision being made will meet its needs well into the future. Progress on individual projects will be considered in the context of the school...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The primary pupil-teacher ratio for the 2004-05 school year in County Kildare was 20.2:1. The Deputy should note that part-time teachers and teachers in special schools are not included in those PTR figures. The information regarding the pupil-teacher ratio on a county basis for post-primary level is not available in my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has dramatically...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: The primary pupil-teacher ratio for the 2004-05 school year in County Kildare was 20.2:1. The Deputy should note that the pupil-teacher calculation does not include part-time teachers or teachers working in special schools. The Deputy asked how pupil-teacher ratios in Kildare compare with other countries. Up-to-date international comparisons on pupil-teacher ratios are not available to my...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I am most anxious to advance the matter referred to by the Deputy. In that regard, my officials wrote to the school in question on 22 March confirming the support available from my Department to facilitate the opening of an autism unit in the school. A response to that correspondence is awaited.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As part of the expansion of the devolved scheme for primary school building works, a grant was sanctioned to enable the management authorities of the school in question to provide additional permanent accommodation. The initiative allows boards of management to address their accommodation and building priorities with a guaranteed amount of funding and gives boards of management control of the...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Information on the number of classes of over 30 pupils in the current school year is not yet available in my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's commitment to improving staffing in primary schools has been unprecedented. We have put over 5,000 more primary teachers in our schools in the last few years. Those have been targeted at pupils with special needs and those from...
- Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department has reached agreement on the terms of a redundancy package for special need assistants, SNAs, employed in primary and second level schools. I expect that confirmation of the provisions of the redundancy arrangements will issue to schools shortly. In this case, I can confirm that an application form for redundancy payment has been received in my Department. As soon as the final...
- Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (4 Apr 2006)
Mary Hanafin: Primary schools' running costs are met by my Department's scheme of capitation grants. The grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of national schools. The capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. The standard rate of capitation grant increased from â¬57.14 per pupil in 1997 to â¬133.58 with effect from 1 January 2005, and it has been...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department provides a range of supports to second level schools to enable them to cater for pupils with special educational needs including pupils with Asperger's syndrome. The supports in question include remedial and resource teaching support, special needs assistant support and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment. The precise model of provision made available will depend...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: I understand from my Department's National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, that the school in question is assigned a NEPS psychologist but that the school has not prioritised the pupil in question for assessment. The NEPS psychologist will be happy to discuss the pupil's needs if prioritised by the school for consultation. There is no charge for a consultation with NEPS or for an...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of an application for both additional temporary accommodation and the replacement of existing prefab accommodation from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application is currently under consideration in the school planning of my Department. Contact will be made directly with the school authority as soon as a decision is made.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. However, this application refers to the provision of a physical education hall only. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. It has been assigned a band four rating. Progress on the project is being...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently, and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. In this case, an application for resource teaching and special needs assistant, SNA, support was made to the relevant special educational needs...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is operational since 1 January 2005, and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. I am advised by the NCSE that the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, an officer of the NCSE, has not yet received an application for resources for the child in question. The relevant...