Results 16,401-16,420 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Post-Primary Education: Post-Primary Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 196 together. There is no requirement for second level schools to produce such a report. However, the Education Act 1998 requires the board of management of a school to establish procedures for informing the parents of students in the school of matters relating to the operation and performance of the school. Such procedures may include the publication...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides for home tuition to be made available to pupils who are absent from school during the later stages of pregnancy or immediately following the birth of a baby when attendance may be impractical. Grants are available for nine hours tuition per week for a period of up to ten weeks. In addition, under the school completion programme, as a specific gender equality measure, my...

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

Mary Hanafin: Section 27 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that all reasonable legal costs and other costs associated with the preparation and presentation of an application to the board will be met by the board. In the event that agreement cannot be reached between the board and the applicant's legal representative, the matter is referred to the taxing master of the High Court for...

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

Mary Hanafin: The national youth work development plan, together with the Youth Work Act 2001, provides a framework for youth work in Ireland. The plan identifies four main goals and proposes 50 action points to achieve these goals over a five-year period. To date, a number of priority action areas have been addressed. In 2003, €80,000 was spent on the implementation of a child protection training...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The OECD review of Irish higher education makes a series of far-reaching recommendations for reform and development of the sector, against the backdrop of the crucial role which has been identified for it in helping to achieve the broad strategic national goal of becoming a leading knowledge-based society. Earlier this year, the Government approved the broad reform agenda outlined by the OECD...

Written Answers — Post-Primary Education: Post-Primary Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The OECD report referred to by the Deputy examines changes in expenditure since the mid-1990s. It shows that public expenditure on education in Ireland has increased substantially between 1995 and 2002 at all levels, even when allowing for inflation. According to data provided by my Department, per pupil expenditure in Ireland at second level has increased by 16% from €5,845 in 2002 —...

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

Mary Hanafin: To date in 2005 my Department has spent a total of approximately €907,000 on legal costs and settlements associated with court cases relating to educational provision for children with special needs compared to a total of approximately €10.13 million in 2003 and 2004. These figures do not include the costs of the State's legal defence which is borne by the Attorney General's office. It is...

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

Mary Hanafin: The appointment of the chairperson of the board of management of a primary school is a matter for the patron of the school. The appointment must be made in accordance with the procedures set out in the handbook, Boards of Management of National Schools Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure. According to my Department's records, approximately 62% of the chairpersons of boards of...

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

Mary Hanafin: The number of concessionary pupils currently being carried on school transport is 6,557. This figure may fluctuate from time to time. The numbers carried at the end of September 2004 was 6,900. On concessionary pupils, I should clarify that a pupil at primary level is eligible for school transport if s/he resides 3.2 kilometres — two miles — or more from the nearest suitable primary...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Modern European languages are currently taught in 394, or 12%, of our primary schools as part of an initiative that was introduced by my Department in September 1998. The aims of this initiative include the development of communication skills in a modern European language, the fostering of positive attitudes to language learning and the diversification of the languages taught in our schools....

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

Mary Hanafin: Bus Éireann administers the school transport services on behalf of my Department. School bus routes are organised on a local basis by 11 regional Bus Éireann offices. Payments for school transport tickets are processed by each regional office. If issues arise regarding refunds of payments made, these should be brought to the attention of Bus Éireann, in the first instance, for further...

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

Mary Hanafin: The most recent data on class size available to my Department shows that, in the 2004-05 school year, of the 322 ordinary classes in primary schools in Cavan, 44 classes had 30 or more pupils and of the 266 ordinary classes in primary schools in Monaghan, 40 classes had 30 or more pupils. Major improvements in school staffing have been made in recent years with the hiring of more than 4,500...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The purchase of new school sites is underpinned by a thorough assessment of the need for new educational facilities at primary and post-primary level in any given area. In general, where the need for a new school site has been identified, the property management section of the Office of Public Works acquires the site on behalf of my Department. The process of site acquisitions takes account...

Written Answers — School Inspector Reports: School Inspector Reports (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I announced some time ago that in the future reports arising from the inspection of schools and centres of education will be published. Consultations have been held with the educational partners and draft guidelines for the publication of inspection reports have been prepared and issued by the inspectorate of my Department to the educational partners in recent weeks. Following responses from...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has conducted a rolling review, evaluation and monitoring process of the first school bundle PPP project from project delivery through the first three years of the operation phase. This process involves regular meetings with the school principals both as a group and individually, regular meetings with Jarvis personnel and detailed review of the monthly reports for each school...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding for physical education halls, general purpose rooms and outdoor play areas in schools as part of the schools' capital investment programme. General purpose rooms at primary level and PE halls at post-primary level are considered an integral part of the design stage for any major refurbishment programme of existing school buildings, providing that the site is of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the National Youth Council of Ireland's current campaign for the allocation of additional funding for the development of youth work in Ireland, including the further implementation of the national youth work development plan. The financial provision for the main funding line for the youth work sector in 2005 represents an 18% increase over 2004 and brings that financial...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (8 Nov 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Early education in Ireland covers the period from birth to six years. At present, almost all five year olds and half of four year olds attend junior infant and senior infant classes in primary schools. Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood education focuses on pre-school provision for children from disadvantaged areas, for...

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

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Board is independent in the performance of its functions in accordance with the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 and my Department is not a party to the consideration of applications for financial redress. If the person mentioned in the Deputy's question has accepted an award made by the board or by the review committee on review, he...