Results 17,201-17,220 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: The schools referred to by the Deputy attract the same standard rate of capitation funding as is paid to other mainstream primary schools. The rates of capitation grants for primary schools have been increased substantially in recent years. Since 1997 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from â¬57.14 per pupil to â¬121.58 with effect from 1 January 2004 and has been...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together. The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs. These responsibilities include the following: deciding on applications for additional...
- Written Answers — In-service Training: In-service Training (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 515, 516, 522 and 523 together. My Department established the special education support service, SESS, in September 2003 to develop and provide a range of supports to schools at primary and post-primary levels working with children with special educational needs, SEN. In addition to the range of services and support it provides to teachers and schools, the...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its teaching timetable and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The rules for allocating teaching resources provide...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 521 together. My Department is inquiring into the detail of the works carried out at the school to which the Deputy refers and will contact the school authority directly on the matter. With effect from 1 January 2005, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Oct 2005)
Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 520 together. 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 2003. It does not have a role in the terms and conditions of employment of special needs teachers or special needs assistants which are...
- Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that the Minister for Education and Science may, by order, provide for the insertion in the Schedule of additional institutions in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function. Since the enactment of the legislation, my Department has been contacted by...
- Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: All pupils who are fully eligible for school transport and, in the case of post-primary pupils, who are attending the centre serving the catchment area in which they reside, are provided with transport. Overall details of the number of applicants for catchment boundary or concessionary transport who failed to secure a place in a given year would not be readily available.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's higher education grants scheme and the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending approved third level courses in approved institutions. An approved course for the purpose of the schemes means a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration and a full-time...
- Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Bus Ãireann, which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department, has been asked to provide a report on the case referred to by the Deputy. When the report is received and considered, my Department will advise the Deputy of the position.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: The staffing of this school for the 2005-06 school year was considered by the independent staffing appeal board on 14 June 2005. The board, having considered the appeal with regard to the criteria outlined in Department circular 19/02, was satisfied that a departure from the staffing schedule is not warranted in this case. It would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operations of...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the higher education grants, HEG scheme, the vocational education committees' VEC scholarships scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses. The HEG scheme is administered by the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in a given area entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. Liaison with existing schools is an important part of the process also, as the school...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy moved into temporary accommodation on 1 December 2001. The lease on that accommodation is for a five-year period, ending on 31 December 2006. The annual rental for the premises is â¬298,388. The school's contribution is capped at â¬3,175 per calendar year. The cost of architects' and consultants' fees relating to those premises was â¬94,623. A sum of...
- Written Answers — Third Level Staffing: Third Level Staffing (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Earlier this year I announced an extra 100 posts for this sector. So far, my Department has approved an additional 1,466 places on post-leaving certificate, or PLC, courses in the 2005-06 academic year. Based on a ratio of 16:1, that would involve an additional 91 teaching posts. To date, based on requests from post-primary schools and vocational education committees, my Department has...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: Negotiations on site acquisition for the school in question are under way. Once the site issue is finalised, the project will be considered for progression in the context of the schoolbuilding and modernisation programme 2005-2009.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy applied for an extension and refurbishment to provide improved ancillary accommodation. The project proposed does not provide for any additional mainstream classrooms. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. The project will...
- Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: For the purpose of the post-primary education scheme, the country has been divided into catchment areas, each of which has its own post-primary centre. Recognised post-primary pupils who live at least 4.8 km from the post-primary centre serving the catchment area in which they reside are eligible for transport to that centre under the scheme. Eligible pupils who wish to attend a post-primary...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: I would be most anxious that children with disabilities should have their educational needs addressed within the jurisdiction. Decisions to place children in facilities outside the State have only been taken in exceptional circumstances and have usually arisen because of the specialised educational or health care needs of the children involved. In this regard my Department provides funding in...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Sep 2005)
Mary Hanafin: My Department supports the education of individual students with autism in various second level schools throughout the country. Discussions are taking place with the management authorities of a small number of schools with a view to establishing second level provision for groups of children with autism who are now coming to a transition stage and are about to move from primary to second...