Results 16,341-16,360 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy is due to commence a postgraduate course of study in the United Kingdom in January 2006. The third level student support schemes, administered by the local authorities and vocational education committees, on behalf of my Department do not extend to postgraduate study outside the island of Ireland. Any extension of the current arrangements...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am conscious of the pressures being placed on education providers in areas of major population growth. In this context, my Department is prioritising the provision of new and enhanced educational facilities in these areas. The prioritisation criteria, recently revised in consultation with the education partners, allocates a top priority, band-one, rating to school building projects in such...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A report furnished to the Department earlier this year by Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport services on behalf of my Department, has indicated that the children referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy are not attending their nearest national school. A previous report from Bus Éireann stated that the school currently being attended was their nearest. The family was...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All contracts awarded by my Department are in compliance with existing guidelines on public procurement under EU and national rules. I am not aware of any contracts that over-ran financially due to their having been incorrectly specified.

Ferns Report: Statements (Resumed). (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Ferns Report made for some very disturbing reading. It details the stark reality of the abuse suffered by young people and the lack of support and assistance at their time of greatest need. I pay tribute to the courageous people who gave evidence of their experience of abuse to the inquiry and express my thanks and appreciation to them. Without their witness, the report could not have...

Leaders' Questions. (9 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Like the third socialist.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 164 together. Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes the country was divided into geographic districts each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (8 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 and which included representatives of the Departments of Education and Science and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the National Safety Council, the Garda...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The financial allocation in the main funding line for the youth work sector in 2005 represents an 18% increase in funding over 2004 and brings that financial provision to €33.889 million in 2005. This is clear evidence of the Government's commitment to the youth work sector in Ireland. This additional funding is catering for a number of developments under the Youth Work Act 2001 and the...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 122, 129, 153 and 198 together. As the Deputy is aware, the Residential Institutions Redress Act provides that the Minister may, by order, include in the Schedule to the Act any industrial school, reformatory school, orphanage, children's home, special school which was established for the purpose of providing education services to children with a physical...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, the new action plan for educational inclusion, which I launched last May, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support...

Written Answers — Medical Education: Medical Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy may be aware, a working group on undergraduate medical education and training recently completed a review of the organisation and delivery of medical training and education in Ireland. I am considering the broad range of recommendations made by the working group in consultation with my colleague, the Tanáiste and Minister for Health and Children. We will bring proposals to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 127, 130 and 165 together. I am aware that some second level schools do not appear to be doing as much as they could to ensure that students with special needs are as welcome in those schools as students without special needs. I expressed my belief in this regard at the recent annual conference of the National Association of Principals and Deputy...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have considered the case referred to by the Deputy. The key consideration in this matter is that the present arrangement obtaining in this case is contrary to the provisions of the post-primary school transport scheme and is, therefore, being phased out. The Deputy will appreciate that the scheme is intended to be of general application throughout the country and any departure from its...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 148 together. The Residential Institutions Redress Board is an independent body established under statute in December 2002 to provide financial redress to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories or other institutions that were subject to State regulation or inspection. The most recent figures available...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled by officials of my Department for the 2004-05 school year and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is no doubt that given the increasing number of children with special needs now availing of the opportunity of a mainstream second level education, there is a need to ensure sufficient training supports are in place to enable teachers to provide them with the best service possible. To this end, my Department has put in place a strategy to meet the needs of teachers working with pupils...

Written Answers — School Evaluation: School Evaluation (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have decided to provide more information, for parents in particular, about our schools in a way that ensures a fair and comprehensive picture of all the different activities in a school. As I have said on many occasions, I am strongly opposed to the publication of crude league tables based solely on examination or test results. Such tables provide an unbalanced and grossly limited...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 677 together. The Government commitment to reduce class size in junior classes clearly accepts the benefits of class size reductions for younger pupils. The international research shows that reduced class size can produce improved attainment in particular for minority-disadvantaged groups. It also shows that the reduction in class size must be...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 569 together. 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,...