Results 15,781-15,800 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Provision: Schools Provision (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 418 together. Officials in the school planning section of the Department are currently carrying out a review of primary and post-primary school provision in the Enniscorthy area. This review is expected to be completed in the new year.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department has no plans to provide classes in first aid for students in primary or post-primary schools. Personal safety is addressed in a variety of ways in the primary and post-primary curricula. Social, personal and health education, SPHE, which is compulsory for all students up to the end of junior cycle, aims to develop students' skills for keeping safe and to make students aware of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy refers to litigation taken against the State in which the Department is a named party. While I cannot comment on any individual case, I can confirm that the Department has written to the Health Service Executive requesting the provision of appropriate therapeutic and support services to the unit for pupils with autism in the second level school in question. Section 7 of the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Dec 2005)

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 and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The staffing schedule at primary level is structured to ensure that...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for capital funding towards the provision of additional accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria which was revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project is being considered in the context of the school building and modernisation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A site for the proposed new Gaelscoil has been identified and contract documents for the sale of the site are currently with the Chief State Solicitor's office. When the site acquisition has been finalised, the building project required to facilitate the school's development will be considered in the context of the school building and modernisation programme 2005-09.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers opened with provisional recognition from the Department in September 2005. One of the criteria for granting provisional recognition is that, in accordance with section 10(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998, the proposed interim accommodation must comply with the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts 1963 to 1996, the Building Regulations 1991 to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 427 together. Teacher allocations for second level schools and PLC colleges are approved by the Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules based on recognised pupil enrolments on 30 of September of the preceding school year. Each school management authority is required to organise its curriculum, teaching timetable and...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (15 Dec 2005)

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

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Approximately €600 million has been allocated by the Department in 2005 for programmes specifically designed to tackle educational disadvantage in accordance with the strategies outlined in the National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2003-05 and Sustaining Progress. The wide variety of measures in place for tackling educational disadvantage and social exclusion reflect...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has introduced a number of initiatives and schemes to empower school authorities in addressing capital works at their schools. Each initiative and scheme has specific terms and these are outlined in the appropriate published document. If the Deputy wishes to ask a question in regard to a particular school or initiative, I will be happy to provide a response.

Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 [Seanad]: Financial Resolution. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I move: That provision be made in the Act giving effect to this resolution for the charging in accordance with the Act of certain fees, being fees for the granting, amendment or renewal by the Irish Medicines Board of licences, authorisations or certificates.

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school. My Department provides home tuition grants in respect of pupils who cannot attend school at all, or who are absent for a significant proportion of the school year. The Department also sanctions home...

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Deputy Crowe has raised several issues. Irrespective of whether the child moved from one school to another the tuition grant would have been stopped for the first school because we hold the view that school-based education provision is the most appropriate intervention for all children, including those with special educational needs. Where a child is attending full-time education, there is no...

Multi-Denominational Schools. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is an open and transparent process in place for the recognition of new primary schools. A central element of this process is that patron bodies wishing to establish new schools must identify the level of demand for the provision of education under the ethos proposed and that potential enrolment will meet certain minimum targets. Under this process all patron bodies are treated on an...

Multi-Denominational Schools. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The sector in question is the fastest growing category in the primary school area. In 1997, there were only 18 multi-denominational schools, while now the figure has more than doubled to 39. When one sees the census returns and the growing multiculturalism of our society, this demand will continue to grow. The first priority for the Department of Education and Science is to ensure a...

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The general allocation of learning support-resource teachers to schools is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. Learning support-resource teacher allocations are based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this...

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have already met some of the principals, boards of management and other relevant individuals from some of the schools in the north inner city to which the Deputy referred.

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy stated the schools in question are losing numbers. I note these schools have pupil-teacher ratios of 10.5:1, 10:1, 8:1——

Special Educational Needs. (15 Dec 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is not irrelevant because the Deputy asked whether I accept the areas he mentioned are disadvantaged.