Results 16,181-16,200 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The statistical data requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. The data have been compiled on the assumption that the Deputy is referring to Irish simply as an examination subject in its own right. These figures refer to all candidates who entered for and sat the leaving certificate Irish examination in each of the years listed. These include school based candidates,...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A request to enter into a temporary letting agreement for the lands in question is under consideration in my Department and a decision on this matter will issue shortly. With regard to the provision of permanent accommodation, the position is that the prospective vendors are working to resolve the issue of title to the lands in question and, unfortunately, no progress can be made on the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Grant assistance towards the cost of private school transport arrangements for the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied was approved by my Department in October 2003, with effect from the 2003-04 school year. On 19 January 2005, on receipt of a further application in respect of the pupil, my Department approved the provision of a wheelchair-accessible transport service to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for a new building from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale projects. As part of this assessment, a technical inspection was carried out on the existing building. Progress on the...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that a report was made to my Department in 1991 in respect of the person mentioned by the Deputy. My Department does not, however, have any record of a meeting with the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with regard to matters referred to in this report. I would like to confirm that all relevant documentation held by my Department on this report was forwarded to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy has made an application for funding under the summer works scheme 2006. All applications under this scheme are being examined in the school planning section of my Department. The list of successful applicants will be published when the assessment process is completed.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department with regard to site acquisitions generally, is exploring the possibility of acquiring a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. The site acquisition process must take account of all relevant factors, including public procurement procedures, and therefore cannot be fast-tracked as...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for additional accommodation from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large-scale projects. Progress on the proposed works is being considered in the context of the school building and...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (22 Nov 2005)

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 — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are eight staff working in my private office and five staff working in my constituency office, as follows. In my private office there is one principal officer, one private secretary at higher executive officer level, two executive officers, four clerical officers and one special adviser at principal officer level. In my constituency office there is one higher executive officer, one...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides a statutory scheme of financial redress for persons who, as children, were abused while in residential institutional care. The scheme applies in respect of institutions specified in the Schedule to the Act. Section 4 of the Act provides that the Minister for Education and Science may, by order, provide for the insertion in the Schedule of...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In order to encourage parents to go back to further education, my Department provides funding for VECs to assist towards the child care expenses of participants in certain further education programmes. These are the vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller training centre programmes. The administration of these grants is a matter for individual VECs....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together. Before committing significant capital resources to the planned new school, it is essential to confirm that the provision of a new second level school in the area is absolutely warranted. In order to consider the matter thoroughly, a review of second level education provision in the area is under way. This review will take into account...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed new eight-classroom building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early stage of architectural planning. The new school is as a result of the amalgamation of Kilworth girls and Kilworth boys' national schools. My Department's officials wrote to the school authorities on 23 September 2005 giving approval to proceed to stage 3, detailed plans and costs, of...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Education and Science is rolling out broadband Internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. Following a public tendering process last year, contracts were awarded to six companies for the provision of access connectivity to almost 4,000 schools. Another provider, Eircom, has been engaged to install a broadband router at...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A copy of the circular referred to by the Deputy was issued to each second level school at the beginning of the current school year. The circular is also available on the website of the Department of Education and Science. In line with normal practice, schools were asked to give a copy of the circular to the appropriate representatives of parents and teachers for transmission to individual...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science has not conducted any specific research on the use by students of wheelie schoolbags. The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, acknowledged that many solutions to the problem can be found at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 558 together. The report of a working group on the potential problems caused by the weight of schoolbags, which was presented in July 1998, stated that many of the solutions belong at local school level. One of the report's main recommendations related to the need to increase awareness of the potential health hazards of excessively heavy schoolbags. In...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department of Education and Science funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes in respect of students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions. I refer to the higher education grants scheme, the VECs scholarship scheme and the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees. The Department also funds a maintenance grant scheme in respect of students...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The main reason for the perceived increase of €15.8 million in the cost of running the State post-primary examinations between 2002 and 2005 is that a technical adjustment was made in the mechanisms for reporting expenditure. State examinations were administered by the examinations branch of the Department of Education and Science until 2002. Since the establishment of the State...