Results 17,981-18,000 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high-incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In respect of the funding being provided for ICT in our schools, it is important to note the significant developments in recent years and the fact that a major project is under way at present to bring broadband connectivity to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry, following the establishment of a three year joint Government-IBEC-TIF fund....

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 144 together. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to identify possible hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and to put appropriate safeguards in place. It is open to school...

Written Answers — Third Level Sector: Third Level Sector (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The McIver report on the PLC sector contains 21 over-arching recommendations, incorporating over 90 sub-recommendations. Having regard to the number and scope of the recommendations in the report, consultations have been held with management and staff interests with regard to such issues as the prioritisation of recommendations, the structural changes envisaged in the report, their...

Written Answers — Register of Courses: Register of Courses (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's website, to which the Deputy refers, contains a provisional list of courses which are approved by me in the context of allowing students from outside the European economic area and Switzerland access to the labour market. My Department has recently commenced the compilation of a register of courses which meet criteria in relation to duration and quality. The register is now...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the 2004-05 school year 2,951 leaving certificate pupils have gained an exemption from the study of Irish. The number of pupils exempt from the study of Irish fluctuates annually depending on pupils applying who meet the criteria as set down by my Department. My Department has issued guidelines in relation to the granting of exemptions from the study of Irish to primary and post-primary...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's records are held on a calendar year basis rather than by academic year and the information which I am providing reflects that position. Since the start of 2004 my Department has spent €5,529,738 on the purchase of prefabricated buildings at post-primary level. This expenditure was for the supply and installation of the prefabricated buildings including associated site works...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers is heavily oversubscribed as a result of a significant number of pupils enrolling from outside its catchment area. The development of this type of situation can impact negatively on pupils who reside within the catchment area and who are entitled, as of right, to a place in a particular school. It also invariably impacts negatively on the school or...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 768 together. Significant improvements have been made in the pupil teacher ratio and in average class size in recent years. The average class size at primary level is now 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil teacher ratio, which includes all the teachers including resource teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.44:1 in...

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

Mary Hanafin: Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 enables additional institutions, in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function, to be added to the Schedule to the Act. Since the enactment of the legislation, my Department has received correspondence from both individuals and survivor groups identifying a...

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Education Act 1998, individual school authorities are responsible for the day-to-day running of schools. It is a matter for each school authority to establish rules on what is and is not acceptable for students to do while on the school premises, provided that those rules are lawful, fair and reasonable. The National Centre for Technology in Education, in its advice...

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 — Student Population Increase: Student Population Increase (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department takes account of projected changes in population when identifying requirements for future educational provision. It is my intention to make the latest projections publicly available shortly.

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

Mary Hanafin: Special needs assistants or SNAs are assigned to schools to meet the care needs of individual children who have been assessed by a psychologist as needing this type of support. There has been no change to the criteria or guidelines for allocating SNA support to schools and I further confirm that there are no plans to review the criteria or guidelines under which SNA support is allocated....

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The recent report of the Irish Language Commissioner highlighted the fact that despite appreciable time devoted to Irish in the school system many students emerge from primary and post-primary education without achieving a reasonable command of the language. Particular concerns were raised about students' command of the spoken language. While I accept that the standard of oral Irish in...

Written Answers — Education Places: Education Places (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The full-time programmes within the further education sector that are funded by my Department and managed and delivered by the vocational education committees are Youthreach, senior Traveller training programmes, the vocational training opportunities scheme and post-leaving certificate courses. In excess of 39,000 places will be provided on these programmes in 2005-06. This comprises in the...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy may be aware that the policy issues associated with renewable energy sources are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. A dedicated agency, Sustainable Energy Ireland or SEI was established under the aegis of his Department for the purpose of addressing these issues, including the commissioning of appropriate research. However, my...

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

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high-incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs, such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties, are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Further Education and Training Awards Council, FETAC, was established on 11 June 2001 under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999. It is the single national awarding body for further education and training in Ireland, and is now responsible for making awards that were previously made by CERT, now Fáilte Ireland, FÁS, the National Council for Vocational Awards, NCVA,...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The previous correspondence, which is referred to in the letter in question, was forwarded to my Department for direct reply by my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. This correspondence was replied to by my private secretary on 9 May 2005. The letter referred to by the Deputy was replied to by my private secretary on 10 June 2005 updating the...