Results 14,801-14,820 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Funding is provided to primary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to cater for the needs of their pupils. This is, in my view, a preferable approach to putting in place grants for specific cost items such as insurance. There have been significant improvements in the level of funding provided to primary schools....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension to provide ancillary accommodation 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been operational since 1 January 2005 and is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports. There is one special needs assistant, SNA, on my Department's payroll for the school in question. I am advised that the local special educational needs organiser, an official of the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: At primary level, physical education is one of the seven curriculum areas and is an intrinsic element of the primary school curriculum which was revised in 1999. A minimum of one hour of physical education per week is recommended for all primary school pupils. All qualified primary teachers are qualified to teach the full spectrum of the primary curriculum, including physical education.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 529 together. The position in respect of physical education facilities in primary schools generally is that the physical education curriculum has been designed on the basis that facilities in schools may vary. Many primary schools have a general purpose room and practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are used for teaching different...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department fully recognises the key role of physical exercise within the school environment and continues to respond to the need to improve physical education facilities for all pupils attending primary and post-primary schools. The provision of such facilities is an integral part of the design process for new school buildings or where an existing school building is undergoing major...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The review, which has been under way for a number of months, is being conducted by officials of the school planning section. The review will involve a visit to the school and contact will be made with the school to arrange the visit as soon as it is feasible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 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 with 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Tá iarratas faighte ag an Roinn cóiríocht sa bhreis a sholáthar don scoil atá luaite ag an Teachta. Tá an t-iarratas sin faoi chaibidil faoi láthair agus déanfaidh an Roinn teagmháil ar an toirt leis na húdaráis scoile tráth an cinneadh a bheith déanta.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy opened in September 2002. It is currently accommodated in temporary prefabricated accommodation on a site owned by Fingal County Council. My Department is grant aiding the rental of a number of the classrooms in use by the school. It purchased the remainder outright. The provision of a permanent building for the school is currently under consideration in...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The majority of appointments to boards are of people nominated by various bodies and then formally appointed by the Minister. The 672 appointments in question relate to the period since 1997. The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following tabular statement. DES Public Appointments June 1997-January 2006. Board/College No. of Appointments National Qualifications...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The 53 vacancies referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 1264 of 25 January 2006 are listed in the attached table. Department of Education and Science: Current Vacancies on Boards-Colleges 25/1/06 Board/College Number of Vacancies National Council For Special Education 2 Educational Disadvantage Committee no determined no. of places on committee (21 on previous committee) ...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand a meeting scheduled for early February 2006 had to be postponed but it is hoped to hold that meeting shortly. I understand the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, has contacted the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, about the case and has kept the school principal informed of developments. I understand that NEPS also plans to arrange consultation meetings...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, administered by the local authorities and vocational education committees on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, a student is not eligible for grant assistance in respect of a second period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether a grant was paid previously. The schemes also provide that grants may not be...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is not in receipt of a formal application from the school to which she refers for capital funding for PE facilities. The school has, however, been issued with the requisite documentation in this regard. When it is returned to the school planning section of my Department, the application will be assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that my Department supports the training and professional development of staff working with children with special education needs through the special edcation 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 students...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: It is my understanding that the availability of laboratory technicians has not been a universal feature of support for science teaching in second level schools and that in some countries that provide this type of resource it is confined to certain types of schools. I am aware that the provision of technical assistants was one of some 39 recommendations in the report of the task force on the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Following is a copy of the current special need assistant pay scales for the Deputy's information. These details are also available on my Department's website. The current rates of salary have been introduced as a result of the implementation of section 14.2 of the mid-term review of part two of Sustaining Progress. In accordance with section 14.2 of the mid-term review of part two of...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The number of NEPS psychologists at present, including three NDA psychologists serving with NEPS and one psychologist currently serving with another section of the Department stands at 122. This number takes account of a number of resignations in recent months. All schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments,...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (7 Mar 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that last year I established a task force on student behaviour in second level schools. This task force produced an interim report in mid-year and has very recently completed its final report as scheduled. I am very grateful to the task force, and its Chair, Ms Maeve Martin, for the very detailed consideration they gave to this broad area in a relatively short amount...