Results 18,621-18,640 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application for an extension and refurbishment has been received from the management authorities of the school referred to by the Deputy and has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which were revised following consultation with the education partners. The proposed project at the school referred to will be progressed in the context of the Schools Building...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The enrolment policy for the new school referred to by the Deputy is a matter for its board of management and is to be decided in consultation with the other primary schools in that town. Construction work is well advanced on this new 16 classroom primary school. The school building also includes provision for two special classrooms for children with autism. Approximately half of the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The property management section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department regarding site acquisitions generally, is continuing to explore the possibility of acquiring a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. A technical report submitted by the OPW is currently being assessed by the Department. Due to the commercial sensitivities of site acquisitions, no...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The accommodation needs of the education centre referred to by the Deputy are being considered in the context of the Schools Building and Modernisation Programme 2005-2009.

Written Answers — Post-Primary Schools: Post-Primary Schools (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the 2004-05 school year, there are 742 recognised post-primary schools in the State. There are 403 secondary schools, 247 vocational schools, 16 comprehensive schools and 76 community schools. There are 58 fee paying schools, which are included in the overall total of 742 recognised post-primary schools.

Written Answers — School Ownership: School Ownership (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 252 together. There are different management and ownership structures for voluntary secondary schools, including fee paying schools, vocational schools, community and comprehensive schools. In general, voluntary secondary schools are privately owned and managed institutions, whereas all community and comprehensive schools are vested in the Minister for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Support and investment for building and refurbishment works in schools is at record levels. Between 1998 and 2004 almost €2 billion has been spent on educational infrastructures comprising approximately 7,500 individual projects. At post-primary level, this has delivered 46 new schools, over 160 large scale refurbishments or extensions and over 850 smaller scale projects as well as site...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (27 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the different management and ownership arrangements for vocational schools and community colleges, comprehensive and community schools and voluntary secondary schools. At the core of funding arrangements at second level is reliance upon capitation as the...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (26 Apr 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 — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Information on national failure rates in specific programmes is not available. However, national research conducted by the HEA into the issue of student non-completion found that science had a higher rate of non-completion than the average across the university sector, at 22.2% against 16.7% otherwise. This, however, refers to the number who do not complete the full degree rather than the...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I understand the Deputy is referring to teacher training programmes in the colleges of education. The existing pre-service teacher training programmes provided by the colleges of education include specific elements aimed at enabling all primary teachers to recognise and deal appropriately with the particular needs of all children who have learning disabilities, including those associated with...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Based on the information provided by the Deputy, it is not possible to respond specifically on the case in question. However, my officials will arrange to have the matter examined further if the Deputy or the pupil's family arranges to forward the specific details of the case, including the relevant professional reports, to my Department's special education section. Children with dyslexia...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The recommendations of the task force on autism provide an invaluable basis for development of educational services and supports for persons with autism. In responding to the recommendations, my Department has given priority to implementing the core legislative and structural measures required to underpin service development and delivery. The Education for Persons with Special Educational...

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: There is no facility within the education system to measure the percentage of young people leaving post-primary schools with literacy difficulties. However, the results of PISA, the programme of international student assessment, provide detailed information on the standards of reading literacy among Irish 15 year olds. In the second cycle of PISA, which was carried out in 2003, Ireland ranked...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Every effort is made to ensure that children with special educational needs receive an education appropriate to their needs and, in this regard, in recent years significant additional resources have been made available to schools to enable them to provide for children with such needs. The following dedicated resources are now deployed to support children with special educational needs in the...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, has delegated authority to develop and provide an educational psychological service to all students in primary and post-primary schools and in certain other centres supported by my Department. A leaflet explaining the NEPS model of service, Working Together to Make a Difference for Children, was issued to all schools in October 2002. In...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Opportunities for professional development and the availability of support on a personal level are important in every profession in enabling staff to work to the best of their abilities and to deal with stress. The priority I attach to providing quality professional development for teachers is evident from the fact that this year's inservice budget is up by almost 19% on the 2004 allocation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I have included the building project for the school in question in my recently announced list of school projects to be progressed through architectural planning in 2005. My Department will be in contact with the school shortly to progress the design process. A decision on which school building projects will advance to tender and construction as part of the 2006 schools building and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 79, 93 and 133 together. The information requested is as follows and refers to ordinary classes only for the 2003-04 school year: more than 20 — 346,066; more than 25 — 233,262; more than 30 — 73,069; more than 35 — 4,499. The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school. Where...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant schemes for third level students. The higher education grants scheme operates on a statutory basis, while the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme and the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees operate on an administrative basis. The statutory framework for maintenance grants under the higher education grants...