Results 14,661-14,680 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Devolving funding to school management authorities allows them to have control of their projects, assists in moving projects more quickly to tender and construction and can also deliver better value for money. The two devolved schemes, the small schools scheme and the permanent accommodation scheme, were originally introduced on a pilot basis. Due to the positive feedback from schools they...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Since the establishment of the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, in 1999, the number of NEPS psychologists has increased from 43 to 122. The Public Appointments Service recently concluded a new recruitment competition for the appointment of educational psychologists to NEPS. Regional panels have been established to allow the Department of Education and Science give greater...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Qualifax is an on-line database of educational courses. The Qualifax database includes listings and data on some 12,000 courses, including all undergraduate and postgraduate courses at third level, post-leaving certificate provision, evening and short-term courses at both second and third level, a range of further education courses, including VTOS, Youthreach, Traveller training and adult...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: FEMIS, further education management information system, is one of a number of projects identified by the Department under its e-government strategy. The principal objective of FEMIS is to meet the management information needs of programme providers and the Department in regard to monitoring the participation of specific groups in the further education sector, in addition to providing timely...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The new primary school in Naas is a feeder school for the three post-primary schools in the town. This means that pupils attending the school may apply for enrolment to any of these schools. The post-primary schools authorities have been requested to amend their enrolment policies to reflect this position.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Discussions on the implementation of the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003 are ongoing at national level with the assistance of a facilitator. The discussions involve representatives from the Departments of Education and Science and Finance, the managerial authorities of schools and the teacher unions. In the context of those discussions a transitional agreement has been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school building 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 (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Assessment of the accommodation needs of this school and others in the general area is under way in the Department of Education and Science. A decision will be made shortly on the school's long-term requirements and how best these can be provided for. The project will then be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I recently announced details of 210 schools which will receive funding for extension and refurbishment works under devolved schemes to enable them to undertake works to address growing accommodation needs. The school referred to by the Deputy has been included in the list of schools to be offered funding under the small school scheme 2006. If the school authority opts to participate in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I recently announced details of 210 schools which will receive funding for extension and refurbishment works under devolved schemes to enable them to undertake works to address growing accommodation needs. The Deputy will be pleased to hear that the school referred to has been included in the list of schools to be offered funding under the small school scheme 2006.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The schools to which the Deputy refers were included in my January announcement of 62 large-scale building projects countrywide which have been approved to progress under the school building and modernisation programme. These will be progressed by way of the appointment of a design team under the Department of Education and Science's capital programme for 2006. Unlike projects being...

Written Answers — Graduates Statistics: Graduates Statistics (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 734 and 735 together. The expert group on future skills needs was established by the Government in late 1997 and among its objectives is to identify the skills needs of different sectors and to advise on the actions needed to address them. The priority skill needs of the economy are being identified on an ongoing basis through the expert group and relevant...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An extension-refurbishment project is nearing completion at the school referred to by the Deputy. The school has recently requested that some further works be done. The Department of Education and Science's technical staff has examined this request and sought further information from the school management. On receipt of this information the matter will be considered further and the school...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the Education Act 1998, it is a function of the board of management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures the school take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the board of management to...

Written Answers — Rules for National Schools: Rules for National Schools (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The rules for national schools were last published in 1965. Amendments, which have been made in the meantime, have been notified to the relevant school authorities by circular letters issued by the Department of Education and Science. The Department has been considering the matter of preparing a revised version of the rules. However, because of other more pressing and urgent work which...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 5,000 additional primary teachers. This represents the largest increase in teacher numbers since the expansion of free education. Today there is one teacher for every 17 children, the lowest pupil-teacher ratio in the history of the State. Aside from decreasing average class size, the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The post-primary school to which the Deputy refers is heavily oversubscribed as a result of the enrolment of a significant number of pupils from outside its catchment area. The cumulative effect of such enrolment over a number of years impacts negatively on pupils from within a catchment area who are entitled to a place in a school. This invariably impacts negatively on the school or schools...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (21 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the Office of Public Works has identified a suitable site to facilitate the provision of a new school building for Rathcormack primary school. The acquisition is at conveyancing stage. The progression of the building project, which depends on the finalisation of the acquisition of the site, is being considered in the context of the 2006-10 school building...