Results 17,041-17,060 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2005. Since 1 January 2005, the NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is responsible for processing resource applications for children with special educational...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am most anxious that all children receive an education appropriate to their needs. As the Deputy may be aware, the home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school. In this context, my Department provides home tuition grants in respect of pupils who...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has been providing annual funding of €63,500 to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland since 1999. This funding has helped the association to operate an information service for members and the public. In addition, it has assisted in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the...

Written Answers — Gaeltacht Schools: Gaeltacht Schools (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are 139 primary schools and 30 post-primary schools in Gaeltacht areas. According to returns in respect of the 2004-05 school year submitted to my Department, 106 of the primary schools taught all classes through the medium of Irish. Since the year 2000-01, five primary schools have changed from having all classes taught through the medium of Irish — one having some classes taught...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The primary school curriculum 1999 affirms the centrality of the arts in primary education and incorporates the subjects visual arts, music and drama within the curriculum area of arts education. The curriculum envisages that all children will have access to a range of experiences in arts education, which will enable them to communicate their ideas, feelings, insights and experiences through...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The need for a new school building is acknowledged by my Department. A suitable site for the proposed new school has been identified by the Office of Public Works. Acquisition of the site is underway and is progressing satisfactorily. The next step, once the site is acquired, is the initiation of architectural planning of the building project. The project is being considered for progression...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 436 and 441 together. Circular letter 6/98, issued by my Department in February 1998, sets out the schedule of assistant principal and special duties teacher posts in voluntary secondary schools as agreed between the respective management bodies, the teacher unions and my Department. Circular 5/98, also issued by my Department in February 1998, sets out the...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The transition year programme is available as an option to all second level schools. Currently, more than 500 schools are providing the programme. The transition year programme is suitable to students of all levels of ability. Its aim is to provide students with a broad educational experience that will allow them to mature while developing their personal, academic and social skills. There is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has acknowledged the need for accommodation at the school to which the Deputy refers. However, the fact that the school is located in a mature part of Lucan complicates the identification of a suitable site, particularly given its desire to remain in close proximity to its church. The school authority undertook to carry out its own negotiations to acquire a site to meet its...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 do not place any onus on developers to provide school sites other than at market rates. I am keeping an open mind as to whether legislative change might be of assistance or prove the best way forward here. Any changes in this area would require careful consideration in the context of constitutional...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am conscious of the pressures being placed on education providers in areas of major population growth. To this end my Department is prioritising the provision of new and enhanced educational facilities in these areas. The prioritisation criteria, which were recently revised in consultation with the education partners, allocate a top priority, band 1, rating to school building projects in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 443 together. The enactment of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 and the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, which has been operational since the 1 January 2005, provide a legislative and structural framework for the support of all children with disabilities, including those with autism. The Act...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is fully aware of the need to provide a solution to the long-term accommodation needs of the school to which the Deputy refers and it is actively considering two options. The first option is the provision of a new school on the site to which the Deputy refers. This matter is being pursued by the property management section of the Office for Public Works, which acts on behalf of...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Arrangements are being made to prepare a comprehensive response to the issues raised by the person in question. This will issue to the Deputy as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Coláistí Samhraidh: Coláistí Samhraidh (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Ní dearnadh aon tástáil chórasach státurraithe ar an dul chun cinn a dhéanann mic léinn de thairbhe a dtréimhse i gcoláistí Gaeilge. Déanann breis is 20,000 míle mac léinn freastal ar choláistí Gaeilge gach bliain agus déanann cigireacht na Roinne cigireacht ar thart ar 50% de na cúrsaí. Tugann mo Roinnse deontas substaintiúil do na coláistí má bhíonn aitheantas faighte...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The level of student intake to the colleges of education is determined annually by my Department taking account of the supply of and demand for primary teachers and also having regard to available resources. The demand for primary teachers is influenced by a number of factors including: the application of the agreed staffing schedule; demographic trends; the number of teachers opting to take...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Oct 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 EU Nationality; or have Official...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (11 Oct 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 — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: At present, National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, staff are based in office premises in a total of 21 locations throughout the country, including six temporary offices. The cost of acquisition and fit-out of offices for NEPS are matters for which the Office of Public Works, OPW, has overall responsibility. The general, non-pay, outturn for NEPS in 2004, met from the 2004 financial...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (11 Oct 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information requested is not readily available in my Department. However, I will arrange for the information to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.