Results 17,761-17,780 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Seanad: Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Committee and Remaining Stages. (23 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4(1)(a) allows the commission to inquire into the manner in which children were placed in institutions. The vast majority of children were placed in institutions by the courts. The section allows the commission to inquire into the system — the courts and the Judiciary — but not to look at individual judges. I appreciate fully what the Senators are trying to achieve but we are...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Early childhood 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. Provision for children below the age of four is targeted at specific groups. Outside of junior classes in primary schools, my Department's main role in the area of early childhood...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together. The Early Start preschool project was established in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk during 1994 and 1995. The aims of Early Start are to expose young children to an educational programme which will enhance their overall development, prevent...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate — PLC — courses in approved PLC centres: the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 277 to 304, inclusive, together. There was never any question of a refusal to provide information to the Deputy. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the 2004-05 school year is now finalised and the following table sets out this information together with information for the years 2000-01 and 2003-04 as now sought by the Deputy. The...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, administered by the local authorities and vocational education committees on behalf of my Department, a student is not eligible for grant assistance in respect of a second period of study at the same level, irrespective of whether or not, a grant was paid previously. The schemes also provide that grants may not be paid to candidates...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight-year course, including a two-year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children progressing to the next grade at the end of each school year. The allocation of a child to a particular class in a school is a matter for the authorities of the school and the child's parents. A decision to allocate a child...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An independent appeals board was established to adjudicate on appeals from boards of management on mainstream staffing teacher allocations in primary schools. The appeals board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final. A circular outlining these procedures issued to all primary schools. I understand that the staffing of the school referred to by the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In December 2004, the school transport appeals board considered an appeal against my Department's decision not to approve free transport in this case. The board having considered the case was satisfied that the terms of the school transport scheme had been properly and appropriately applied and therefore the appeal was not allowed.

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, in November 2004, I announced the end to the freeze on third level capital funding following the report of the review group on the prioritisation of all capital projects in the third level sector — the Kelly report — when I gave immediate approval for key projects in the sector. The projects selected were identified as being of a high national priority and include...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. My officials have been advised by the NCSE that the matter has been referred to the local special educational needs organiser, SENO. The SENO is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which was established recently and which has been operational since 1 January 2005, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports and deciding on the level of support appropriate to the school. A total of 71 special educational needs organisers, SENOs, have been recruited...

Written Answers — Youth Services Funding: Youth Services Funding (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department provides funding for the support of voluntary youth work to national and major regional voluntary youth organisations through the youth service grant scheme. The purpose of this scheme is to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people. Scouting Ireland...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30 September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. This staffing schedule is outlined in primary circular 15-05, which issued to all primary schools in April 2005. This is in line with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners....

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The course referred to by the Deputy is run by a privately-owned institution providing a privately-run course that has been accredited by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, HETAC. My Department has no role in regulating the number of students enrolled on any course run by any privately-owned college and, therefore, has no role in this case. In order for the course to secure...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal under developing school criteria. As outlined on the standard application form, appeals under this criterion can only be considered after 30 September 2005, as developing school status relates to actual enrolment on that date. It is open to the board of management to withdraw its application for consideration by the appeals board under...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department are carrying out a review of educational needs in the north Dublin-east Meath-south Louth area, including Donabate and Portrane, by way of a draft area development plan. The need for a post-primary school in Donabate is being considered in this context. The draft plan is nearing completion and I hope to be in a position to publish it...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Capital funding is being provided under the School Building and Modernisation Programme 2005-2009 for the refurbishment of science laboratories undertaken as part of an overall refurbishment programme of second level schools, for the upgrading of science facilities exclusively or by provision of new facilities in the case of newly built or extended schools. Additionally, I have provided for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the rules and programme for secondary schools, second level schools should offer a physical education programme based on an approved syllabus with teaching hours registered on the school timetable. The phasing in of a revised syllabus at junior cycle level for non-examination physical education commenced in September 2003. The syllabi in physical education have been developed on the...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (22 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that in order for an institution to be considered for inclusion on the Schedule of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, the facility must have been subject to inspection or regulation by a public body. A total of 128 institutions are listed on the original Schedule to the Act and, in November 2004, I signed an order...