Results 18,341-18,360 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The application for a major capital project from the school in question is currently being examined in the school planning section of my Department. The position in regard to the school's application for funding of the smaller project already undertaken is that the works concerned were progressed by the school without the prior agreement of my Department. It is not my Department's policy to...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is committed to funding the provision of PE, general purpose and outdoor play areas in schools as part of the schools' capital investment programme. Providing recreation areas such as hard core ball courts, general purpose rooms at primary level and PE halls at post-primary level are considered an integral part of the design stage for any major refurbishment programme of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The 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 recently. This is in line with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners. In the current...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 to 213, inclusive, together. The school planning section of my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital investment from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the amended prioritisation criteria for large scale projects which were revised following consultation with the education...

Written Answers — Education Projects: Education Projects (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: For a number of years the Department has approved the secondment of teachers to area based partnerships operating under the aegis of Area Development Management, ADM. The purpose of this support is to promote co-ordination and coherence regarding the education related actions of partnerships at the level of local communities. However, in June 2004 the Department approved the continued...

Written Answers — Weight of Schoolbags: Weight of Schoolbags (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A working group was set up in autumn 1997 to examine the potential problems caused by the weight of heavy schoolbags, including the possible implications for the health of pupils. The group's report, which was presented in July 1998, acknowledged that many of the solutions belong at local school level and one of the main recommendations related to the need to heighten the awareness of the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (25 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department does not have statistical details of the type requested by the Deputy. In general, many schools at primary level have a general purposes room for play and PE facilities during inclement weather. In addition, practically all schools have outdoor play areas which are utilised for teaching different aspects of the physical education programme. Similar circumstances obtain regarding...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department has assessed the application from the school to which the Deputy refers in accordance with the revised prioritisation criteria and its progress is being considered in the context of the school building programme from 2005 onwards.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The school to which the Deputy refers applied for temporary accommodation in October of 2004. In the context of the available funding for temporary accommodation and the number of applications for that funding, it was not possible to approve all applications received and only those with an absolute and demonstrated need for additional accommodation were approved.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As the Deputy is aware, the school was advised on 26 August 2004 that the pupil in question did not meet the criteria for special needs assistant, SNA, support as insufficient evidence of care needs existed. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. The NCSE will...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy has indicated that the pupil in question has a specific learning disability. This disability falls into the high incidence disability category. With regard to teaching supports for pupils within the high incidence category, my Department has now completed its review of the general allocation system of resource teaching support. The new model replaces that which was notified to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 339 together. 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 of their attendance at school. In this context, my Department provides home tuition grants to pupils who cannot attend school at all, or are absent for a significant proportion of...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The main conditions of my Department's free fees initiative are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold EU nationality or official refugee status and have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. A student meeting these requirements is eligible to be considered under the free fees...

Written Answers — School Planning: School Planning (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The draft plan for north Dublin, east Meath and south Louth area is nearing completion in the school planning section of my Department and I hope to be in a position to publish it shortly.

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Since its formal launch in December 2003, the aim of the National Educational Welfare Board has been to provide a service to the most disadvantaged areas and the most at-risk groups. Five regional teams have been established with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, and staff have been deployed in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 345 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department for the school year 2004-05. However, if the Deputy has a query about a particular school for 2003-04, I would be happy to answer it.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to inform the Deputy that the new general allocation scheme recently announced caters for pupil with high-incidence disabilities, namely, mild general learning disabilities, borderline mild general learning disabilities and dyslexia. It also caters for pupils who require learning support. The pupil in question is in the low-incidence disability category, and five hours of resource...

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department supports several initiatives in place in second level schools which aim to assist students with behavioural difficulties in dealing with and overcoming such problems. It would be entirely wrong to label such initiatives as "sin bins". My Department subscribes to the principle that the needs of students with behavioural difficulties should be addressed in the most inclusive...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that an application for resource teaching support for the pupil in question was considered by my Department. Resource teaching support was not granted, as it was considered that the assessed intellectual ability was not in the required range that would allow the pupil to qualify for such support. Correspondence regarding this matter has been received in my Department. My...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy has indicated that the pupil in question has a specific learning disability. That disability falls into the high-incidence disability category. With regard to teaching supports for pupils in the high-incidence category, my Department has now completed its review of the general allocation system of resource teaching support. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools...