Results 15,281-15,300 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers recently received significant funding under my Department's contingency fund to address certain issues with its windows. Given that there are still some outstanding matters in this regard, my Department is reviewing the schools summer works scheme application and it will be in direct contact with the school authority when the outcome of the review is known.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: All primary and post-primary schools in County Limerick have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, full details of which are available on my Department's website. Under the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, schools may commission educational...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The site for the school referred to by the Deputy is being acquired by my Department under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002. My Department has accepted in principle a site in Kells which was offered under the terms of the property aspect of the indemnity agreement between the State and 18 religious congregations dated 5 June 2002. Officials in my Department are...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations; ensuring the preparation of examination papers and other examination materials; determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations; and making arrangements for...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, whose role is to advise the Minister for Education and Science on curriculum and assessment issues, recommended that road safety be addressed within the context of social, personal and health education. Social, personal and health education is part of the core curriculum for all pupils in the junior cycle of second level schools. It...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that works on the school buildings to which he refers were included in my recent announcement of 62 schools for which design teams will be appointed under the 2006 capital programme. The building section of my Department will be providing information for the schools concerned shortly on how their projects will be advanced on foot of this announcement.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The project referred to by the Deputy is listed on the 2005 school building programme to go to tender and construction. The stage 3 documentation — detailed design — is being examined by my Department's technical staff. Once this stage is approved my Department will devolve authority to the school in question to proceed to tender and construction.

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: An application for home tuition for the pupil was received in my Department recently. The application will be considered in consultation with the National Council for Special Education and a decision will be conveyed to the parents as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Limited indicative data on the socio-economic background of grantholders have been collected in the past on the higher education grants scheme only. My Department's student support unit is in the process of collating information on students who were awarded grants under the higher education grants scheme for the academic year 2004-05 from the returns which have been submitted to date by the...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that for an institution to be considered for inclusion in the Schedule to the Act, it must be an industrial school, a reformatory school, an orphanage, a children's home, a special school for children with a physical or intellectual disability or a hospital providing medical or psychiatric services for people with a physical...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Responsibilities relating to the performance of teachers at a school are outlined in section 9(b) and 9(k) of the Education Act 1998. In addition, the role and responsibilities of the principal teacher on this matter are referred to under section 23(2)(a) of the Act. Under section 9(b) of the Act, schools are required to ensure that the education provided in their schools meets the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The enrolment of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, is a matter in the first instance for schools, parents and guardians. The Education Act 1998 requires all schools to have in place an admissions policy for students with disabilities or other special educational needs. The Act also requires schools to ensure that the policy respects the principles of equality and the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, has just completed a consultation process around mathematics in post-primary education and is preparing a report which will contain recommendations to address the issues identified. The NCCA plans to publish this report in April on its website at www.ncca.ie.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to mathematics at post-primary level since teachers, in the review carried out by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, in 2003-04, expressed high levels of satisfaction with the mathematics curriculum which was introduced to primary schools in 1999. I am aware of the broad range of concerns expressed by teachers, and many others,...

Written Answers — Irish Textbooks: Irish Textbooks (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I understand the Deputy has in mind textbooks in the Irish language for use in Gaeltacht and other all-Irish schools. Significant improvements are being made in regard to the provision of suitable high quality textbooks and teaching materials specifically for use in Gaeltacht and other all-Irish schools through the work of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta. In 2005,...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: Student practical work has been a major feature of science syllabi at both junior and senior cycle levels for many years and science teachers have long experience of carrying out programmes of practical work with their students. Traditionally, this practical work has been assessed through the medium of a written paper in the certificate examinations. The revised junior certificate science...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The decreasing numbers of males entering the teaching profession, is an issue of concern to me. It is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I genuinely believe that teaching should be seen as an...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together. Capital funding is provided under the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's policy to combat educational disadvantage and early school leaving is designed to include related and complementary strategies to improve participation rates and outcomes in mainstream school. It is also designed to provide second-chance education and training for those who left school early without any qualification. The problem of early school leaving requires movement on a...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Mary Hanafin: The total provision for educational inclusion programmes in 2006 is approximately €647 million across all levels of education provision, ranging from pre-school interventions, supports for tackling children's literacy problems, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, increased capitation grants, free book grants scheme, measures to tackle early school leaving and strengthen ties between the school,...