Results 17,961-17,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There were 273.31 whole-time equivalent special needs assistants, also known as SNAs, employed in 80 primary schools in County Kildare on my Department's payroll at the end of May 2005. It is not possible to say how many of these will have their contracts renewed for the new school year. Responsibility for the recruitment and employment of SNAs rests with the relevant school authorities. SNAs...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A number of schools currently facilitate students in completing ECDL, particularly in transition year. However, I have no plans to introduce information and communications technology, ICT, as a discrete examination subject for second level students. Recent thinking on ICT in schools is that the best way to learn ICT skills is to apply them in meaningful context. Based on this, the focus in...

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In 1980 3% of socio-economically disadvantaged school-leavers entered higher education. According to the most recent national survey data available for 1998 — Clancy 2001, that figure has risen to between 20 and 30% of school-leavers from the most under-represented groups. While this represents a significant improvement it is below the current average participation rate of 54% for all young...

Written Answers — Student Councils: Student Councils (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The research report referred to by the Deputy was commissioned by the working group on student councils in second level schools. The working group was established by the National Children's Office in June 2003, in co-operation with my Department, to promote the establishment of democratic student councils in second level schools. All of the partners in education and 11 second level students...

Written Answers — Joint Managerial Bodies: Joint Managerial Bodies (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am very aware of the administrative burden currently placed on schools and the effect this has on the workload of principals. I have started a process of review of the administrative burden imposed on schools arising from departmental and legislative requirements. I believe we can collectively seek opportunities to ensure that this burden is kept to the minimum, consistent with achieving...

Written Answers — Teaching Profession: Teaching Profession (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand that the committee examining this issue held its final meeting recently and agreed the core elements of the report and that the final text of their report is being drafted at present. I expect to receive its report shortly. The relatively low levels of men in the primary teaching forces, which is a feature common to all OECD countries, is an issue that is of concern to me. I...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All schools have access to psychological assessments, either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, for those schools currently served by NEPS, or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, for those that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them. All schools that that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (14 Jun 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I draw the Deputy's attention to the series of announcements I have made so far this year as part of the 2005-09 school building and modernisation programme. These announcements, which were published in county order, outline: schools with major building projects allowed to move to tender and construction; schools invited to deliver their building projects on the basis of devolved funding;...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are six primary schools in County Wicklow with concessionary teaching posts.

Written Answers — University Post: University Post (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the Universities Act 1997, any amendment to the superannuation scheme of University College Cork requires the approval of the Higher Education Authority and the consent of the Minister for Education and Science and the consent of the Minister for Finance. I recently consented to an amendment to the superannuation scheme of University College Cork as did my colleague the Minister for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Jun 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, such as the timetabling of examinations. I have asked officials from my Department to discuss the matter with the State...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's payroll can provide information on the number of days for which unqualified temporary and substitute teachers were employed. In the 2003-04 school year, 139,570 substitution days were paid to unqualified teachers. In the same year, 165,087 days in respect of temporary teacher appointments were paid to unqualified teachers. However, I should point out that, as the teacher's...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 831 together. There is at present no legal requirement to wear seat belts in buses, including school buses, in this country. However, EU Directive 2003/20 requires seat belts to be used where they are fitted. This directive must be transposed into national law by 9 May 2006. Separately, proposals to extend the requirement for seat belts to be fitted in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects which were revised following consultation with the education partners last year. Progress on the application is being considered in...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 148 together. The loading of all school buses is determined by the relevant sections of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations which are laid down by the Department of Transport. The licensed carrying capacity of all vehicles engaged in school transport is based on a ratio of three pupils for every two adult seats,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 778 together. The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 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 recently. This is in line with guidelines agreed between my...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Completed data are not available for the current school year because a number of outstanding queries on returns from a small number of schools must be resolved before the current primary census is finalised. I will forward the information sought directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It is important to understand that my Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result in parents not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice for their child. There are ten primary schools in the Lucan area including two new state of the art multi-denominational schools and a new...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Board is an independent body established under statute in December 2002 to provide financial redress to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories or other institutions that were subject to State regulation or inspection. To date, the board has received 6,300 applications and has processed some 3,277 of these...