Results 18,521-18,540 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 421 together. My colleague the Minister for Finance provided a capital envelope of €555 million in respect of education PPPs for the period 2005 to 2009 and I am examining how this may be best utilised. This examination covers both schools and the third level sector. A key rationale underpinning the decision to proceed with the initial bundle of five...

Written Answers — Schools of Music: Schools of Music (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: On the 3 December 2004 Jarvis, which was appointed preferred bidder for the Cork School of Music PPP project, announced that it had reached an agreement with Hochtief Developments UK Limited to purchase the PPP bidding arm of its business. Following the announcement, various issues surrounding the purchase were being completed and a revised proposal and documentation in connection with the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Three schools in County Kerry, one primary and two post-primary, were included in my recent announcement of schools to progress through architectural planning in 2005. The school building section of my Department will be in contact with each of the schools shortly to progress the projects. Other Kerry schools that have benefited from recent buildings announcements include five schools...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule, agreed between my Department and the education partners. In accordance with the staffing schedule, the mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and seven mainstream...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the OPW, which acts on behalf of my Department in regard to site acquisitions generally, was originally requested to investigate the possibility of acquiring a site for the proposed amalgamation of schools referred to by the Deputy. Subsequently, the school authority identified a possible suitable site. This site was inspected by a member of my Department's...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the general allocation system, GAS, has now been completed. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which was reviewed to take account of difficulties that it may have caused for smaller schools. I can confirm that 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to facilitate the...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Residential Institutions Redress Board is independent in the performance of its functions in accordance with the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002. In the circumstances, I do not have access to the details of an individual's application, nor is it open to me or my Department to intercede on behalf of an individual applicant. However, all applicants are entitled to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria. The project will be progressed in the context of the School Buildings and Modernisation Programme 2005-2009. The Deputy will be aware that I have made a number of announcements in regard to the 2005 school building programme since the beginning of the year. I will...

Written Answers — Colleges of Education: Colleges of Education (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 to 407, inclusive, and 410 together. As Deputies are well aware, the president of the college covered by the Deputies' questions resigned from that position on Friday, 29 April. Arising from this development and various related matters, I have asked that one of the country's leading independent accountancy firms examine the question of the use of moneys...

Written Answers — Colleges of Education: Colleges of Education (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There are three different methods of providing funding to the five colleges of education, reflecting the historical context within which the colleges were established and developed over time. Coláiste Mhuire Marino and the Froebel College of Education are funded on a capitation basis with funding linked to a payment per student registered in these colleges, certified by the college...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A copy of the draft local area plan for the former Magee Barracks lands has recently been received from Kildare County Council. Officials in the planning section of my Department are currently examining the implications of the draft plan. Any additional school accommodation required as a result of this plan will be addressed in the context of the school building programme from 2005 onwards.

Written Answers — Mobile Telephony: Mobile Telephony (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has no proposals to introduce mobile phone jamming systems into schools. 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,...

Written Answers — Language Programme: Language Programme (10 May 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 absolutely accept that the standard of oral...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Deputy will be aware that a review has been conducted in recent months to establish whether primary schools have the level of SNA support that they need for children in their care, whether they have resources which they no longer need or whether they need extra resources. The review has found that some schools no longer have the care needs for which the SNA was originally sanctioned,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand from the relevant vocational education committee that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is enrolled and in attendance at post-primary school. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply for additional teaching support and-or special needs assistant support for the pupil. My Department allocates additional...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The review of the general allocation system, GAS, has now been completed. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which has been reviewed to take account of difficulties that it may have caused for smaller schools. I can confirm that 660 additional special needs teaching posts will be put in place in primary schools from next September to facilitate the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: All primary schools receive an annual minor works grant from my Department. Each school gets a standard rate of €3,809 together with a per pupil rate of €12.70. It is open to the school management authority of the school referred to by the Deputy to use this devolved grant for the purchase of physical education equipment provided it is not required for more urgent works.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on the 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule, agreed between my Department and the education partners. The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Section 10 of the Education Act 1998 provides for the recognition of new schools by the Minister. The application procedure for the process involved was revised in 2002 based on the recommendations in the report of the Commission on School Accommodation, Criteria and Procedures for the Recognition of New Primary Schools. The application procedure involves a number of stages, including formal...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (10 May 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with section 23 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 2001, officers of Departments at or above deputy secretary level must make a statutory declaration that they are tax-compliant within one month of taking up office. In addition, such officers must forward to the Standards in Public Office Commission a tax clearance certificate issued by the Revenue Commissioners within nine...