Results 16,821-16,840 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A scheme for the award of incremental credit to special needs assistants in respect of relevant previous experience is currently being prepared. The scheme will then be discussed with the trade union representing special needs assistants with a view to publication at the earliest possible date. Applications from eligible persons will be considered following publication of an agreed scheme.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the new general allocation system is intended to cater for children with high incidence special needs and those with learning support needs. The system was constructed so that allocations would be 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for a new school building. Officials in the school planning section are considering a number of options for the long-term solution to the school's accommodation difficulties. It is acknowledged that there is no scope for development of the existing site. Therefore, among the options being considered is the possibility...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Grangegorman is a unique site and is of strategic importance in the context of Dublin as a whole and to the north inner city in particular. The Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 makes provision for the establishment of an agency to undertake the development of the Grangegorman site as a location for education, health and other purposes. The agency will consist of 15 members and will...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (19 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All schools in the Dublin 15 area have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either through the national educational psychological service, NEPS, directly or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, or from the County Dublin VEC service. In this area at present, 22 out of 25 primary schools and five out of six post-primary schools — two of these...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (19 Oct 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 redress 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...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The 2002 report of the task force on the physical sciences highlighted the importance of addressing the decline in the numbers of students participating in physics and chemistry at senior cycle and choosing science options in higher education and sets out a range of strategies and actions to address this issue. A quantification in terms of supply and demand for science graduates was not...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 696 together. If the Deputy can supply the names and addresses of the pupils referred to in the questions I will have the matter investigated and the Deputy will be informed of the outcome.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 694 and 729 together. An application for capital investment for the provision of an autism unit was received within the last week from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application is being considered and officials in my Department are in contact with the school authority.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners. The staffing schedule is outlined in a circular that is issued annually to all primary schools. The enrolment in the school referred to by the Deputy on...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The terms of the school transport schemes are of general application and are applied without distinction as to category of school. The scheme for primary schools provides that, in the case of pupils who are attending all-Irish or multi-denominational schools, eligibility for transport is determined by reference to the distance to the nearest such school. It is my intention that these...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The proposed extension project for the school in question was one of the schools listed to enter architectural planning this year as per my announcement in March. A design team has been appointed and architectural planning commenced. My Department's officials recently examined a submission from the school in respect of the project brief. This has been discussed and clarified with the school's...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 701 together. The level of funding that my Department provides to Educate Together as a school management body is on a par with that provided to Foras Patrúnachta na Gaelscoileanna, the Church of Ireland Board of Education, the Islamic Board of Education and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. However, following...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 I, as Minister, am obliged to have regard to the need to reflect the diversity of educational services provided in the State. Applying this provision to the development of multi-denominational education at primary level, my Department has supported the establishment of a significant number of new multi-denominational schools in...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The cost, net of fee income, of running the State post-primary examinations for the years in question are as follows. In 2002 it was €33.7 million, in 2003 it was €38.9 million, in 2004 it was €45.7 million and in 2005 it will be a projected €49.5 million. The State Examinations Commission has operational responsibility for the certificate examinations.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the funding in question was recently approved by my Department.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The State Examinations Commission is responsible for operational matters concerning the certificate examinations. The commission released data on 12 October 2005 regarding leaving certificate appeals in 2005 that were compiled on an individual subject rather than county basis. A total of 11,567 individual subject appeals were processed resulting in 2,612 upgrades and five downgrades. This...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: On foot of a Government decision, the then Minister for Education and Science formally established the State Examinations Commission on 6 March 2003. The commission now has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations. This includes the matter raised by the Deputy. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the State Examinations Commission for...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners. The staffing schedule is outlined in a circular issued annually to all primary schools. The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy does not provide details of the individual pupils concerned, I am not in a position to comment on any specific cases. However, I understand children from the area identified by the Deputy attend the national school referred to in the details supplied. The general position under the terms of the primary school transport scheme is that children are eligible, subject to conditions,...