Results 14,761-14,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been received from the school in June 2000. The application has been assessed and the long-term projected enrolment figure on which the accommodation needs will be based has been determined and schedules of accommodation have been drawn up in consultation with the school authority. The project is being considered for...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (9 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I will be in Dubai for the St. Patrick's Day functions from 21 March 2006 to 23 March 2006. The itinerary has not been fully finalised yet but it includes the following engagements; meeting with Minister for Education; visit to higher colleges of technology; lunch meeting with educationalists hosted by higher colleges of technology; meeting committee of Irish Society; meeting EI office and...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The 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 annually to all primary schools. The general rule is that the schedule provides at least one classroom teacher for every 29 pupils in the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Where schools are amalgamating there is provision for the allocation of a concessionary mainstream teaching post in cases where the approved number of mainstream teachers serving in the schools at the time the amalgamation takes place exceeds the number warranted by the total enrolment on the basis of the staffing schedule. The continued allocation of the concessionary post is dependent on...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: In January of this year, I announced details of 62 projects which were being given the go ahead to proceed with major works such as new school building projects, extensions or refurbishment. The first step for these schools is the appointment of an architectural team that will design and plan the works. To aid the schools in appointing these architectural teams and to brief them on the steps...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened with provisional recognition from the Department in September 2005. During the period of provisional recognition, it is the responsibility of the school patron to provide interim accommodation. This accommodation must be capable of fully meeting the needs of the developing school until permanent recognition has been secured and the Department is in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: On Monday 6 March 2005, a list of 75 schools which will receive funding this year under the Department's permanent accommodation scheme was published. The school to which the Deputy refers is included among these schools. The school building unit of the Department will be issuing instructions to the schools concerned as to how to proceed under this devolved scheme shortly.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of the Department has recently approved the rental of two resource rooms under the additional accommodation scheme to facilitate the child's placement in a special school. School management is currently making arrangements to procure this accommodation. Meanwhile, the National Council for Special Education, through the local special educational needs organiser, is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Mar 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 school planning section of the Department is currently re-examining the schedules of accommodation that were agreed with the school authorities to ensure that level of accommodation being proposed will meet the long-term needs of the school. The project is...

Written Answers — Schools of Music: Schools of Music (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has recently received an application from County Wicklow Vocational Education Committee for an additional allocation of tuition hours for the purpose of supporting music in its area of responsibility. This application is under consideration at present and a decision will be notified to the committee in due course.

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (8 Mar 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 Department has written to the education and social partners seeking their views on the composition and future work of the committee. When all of these have been received and considered, members will be appointed to the new committee as...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All schools in County Clare have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, or the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, full details of which are available on my Department's website. The latest figures indicate that 50% of primary schools — 65% of pupils — and all post-primary schools in County...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All post-primary schools in County Clare have access to a dedicated service from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. The promotion of mental health in schools is one of the main objectives of NEPS. The NEPS psychologists working in County Clare work closely with the guidance counsellors and co-ordinators of social personal health education — SPHE — in the schools...

Written Answers — School Completion Programme: School Completion Programme (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to complete his or her education. To this end, we are providing increased resources for schools in disadvantaged areas by offering extra educational supports and services. Measures designed to improve school completion include the establishment of...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Broadening access to further and higher education is one of the Government's major policy priorities. As the Deputy will be aware the Government made a €42 million package available in 2003 which involved substantial increases in grant levels while extending the income thresholds and linking the amount of the top-up grant to the maximum personal rate of unemployment assistance. The impact...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Coláiste Mhuire Marino is responsible for holding the SCG examination in 2006. The examination will be held in a number of centres throughout the country in the week beginning 17 April. Full details are available from Coláiste Mhuire. Regarding course provision, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a number of education centres throughout the country, which are directly funded by my...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: As recently as 2001, I established a working group to review all aspects of the syllabus and examination for the Scrúdú le hAghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge (SCG). The review group drafted an interim examination syllabus which was circulated to all schools in December 2002. The SCG examinations held in October 2003 were the first series of SCG examinations to be based on this revised...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The proposed project, including the acquisition of a site, is being considered for progression in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2006-10.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. This application has been assessed in accordance the published prioritisation criteria. The property management section of the Office of Public Works is in the process of acquiring a site to facilitate the provision of the new school building. Progression of...

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 510 together. The question of introducing a road safety and driver education syllabus into schools has been examined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on foot of a report from a task group set up in 2000 and which included representatives of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of the Environment, Heritage...