Results 16,041-16,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The person is question gave four years and 21 days of pensionable service as a primary teacher between September 1981 and 13 March 1987. The teacher also gave some intermittent service as a substitute teacher between 1986 and 1990 but substitute service was at that time not reckonable for pension purposes. As matters stand, the person in question does not retain any entitlement to pension and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school in question was listed in my announcement of April this year as a project to progress through architectural planning up to pre-tender stage, that is, up to and including advanced architectural planning. My Department's officials are in the process of examining a recently...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has received correspondence from the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland seeking approval for the inclusion of the winter streams of the professional practice course 1 under the higher education grant scheme for 2005 and 2006. The application for course approval is currently under active consideration within my Department.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, individual school authorities are responsible in the first instance for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. Provision is built into the annual school building programme to enable schools to address urgent health and safety issues as identified by the school authority by way of an annual...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The criteria for eligibility for the free fees initiative includes the provision that students who have pursued a course of third level study which has attracted Exchequer funding, for example, free fees, and who have not secured a terminal qualification and subsequently resume third level studies are not eligible for free fees for the equivalent period of time spent on the first course. The...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 272 together. Irish is examined at higher, ordinary and foundation levels in the leaving certificate examination. All candidates take an oral examination where the productive skills of the candidate in spoken Irish are tested in an interview format. They also take an aural test where a candidate listens to a recording of native speakers representing...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are three different methods of providing funding to the five colleges of education, reflecting the historical context within which the colleges were established and developed over time. Coláiste Mhuire Marino and the Froebel College of Education are funded on a capitation basis with funding linked to a payment per student registered in these colleges which is certified by the college...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (30 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The position is that the number of student or lecture contact hours in the colleges of education, on average, amounts to 1,650. I would like to inform the Deputy that the existing pre-service teacher training programmes provided by the colleges of education include specific elements aimed at enabling all primary teachers to recognise and deal appropriately with the particular needs of all...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the case of the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, of my Department, psychologists always obtain written parental or guardianship consent prior to undertaking educational psychological assessments. A similar procedure obtains where children are assessed by panel psychologists under the scheme for commissioning of psychological assessments, SPCA, which NEPS administers. Best...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 to 391, inclusive, together. Four special needs assistants are employed in the school in question supporting the care needs of six pupils. The school's enrolment at 30 September 2005 is 611 pupils. A new general allocation system has been announced under which schools have been provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: 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, which included representatives of the Departments of Education and Science and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the National Safety Council, the Garda, the Irish...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 to 396, inclusive, and Questions Nos. 401 to 421, inclusive, together. In accordance with the rules and programme for secondary schools, the approved course for the established leaving certificate must include Irish and not less than four of the examination subjects listed, all of which are optional: classical studies; ancient Greek; Latin; English; Hebrew...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 399 together. In the post-leaving certificate sector, an additional 1,540 student places have been approved by my Department during 2005. The majority of these additional student places were notified to PLC providers on the basis of applications received earlier this year. A further 60 student places will be approved shortly. On the basis of a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the higher education grants scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The nationality requirement, as set out in clause 4.5 of the higher education grant scheme 2005, states: "Candidates must:— ∙hold E.U. Nationality; or...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The terms and conditions of the career break scheme for civil servants are agreed centrally by the Department of Finance. Child rearing is one of the purposes for which a career break may be approved. A career break consists of special leave without pay for a period of not less than six months and not more than five years at any one time. A career break may be extended in six monthly periods...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 to 429, inclusive, together. In accordance with the rules and programme for secondary schools, the approved course for the established leaving certificate must include Irish and not less than four of the following examination subjects, all of which are optional: classical studies; ancient Greek; Latin; English; Hebrew studies; French; German; Italian;...

Written Answers — Teaching Staff: Teaching Staff (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Higher Diploma in Education Applications Centre, HDEAC, was formed in 1998 to accept applications for admission to the higher diploma in education courses offered by the four constituent universities of the National University of Ireland at Dublin, Cork, Galway and Maynooth. The centre operates a common application and common selection process on behalf of the relevant universities....

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A second level teacher must hold, in addition to the required teacher training, a suitable primary degree or equivalent award, from a nationally recognised university or similar third level college, which is adequate to enable the holder to teach to the highest level at least one subject from the second level schools curriculum. The duration of such a degree programme must be at least three...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Teachers trained outside the jurisdiction of the State, whose qualifications have been assessed and accepted by my Department, but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification, are granted a five year period of provisional recognition to teach in mainstream classes in national schools. During this period these teachers are expected to obtain their Irish language...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The specific information requested for schools in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 is not readily available to my Department. The Deputy will be aware that the general allocation of learning support-resource teachers, LS-RTs, is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. The system was constructed in order that LS-RT allocations would be based on pupil...