Results 18,641-18,660 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: The figures requested by the Deputy are not readily available in my Department. I am aware, however, that the primary sector has experienced a shortage of trained teachers in recent years mainly as a result of the creation of a large number of additional posts — more than 4,000 since 1997 — in our primary schools. The difficulties experienced were aggravated by the number of teachers...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (26 Apr 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 5,909 applications and has made awards in just over 3,000...

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

Mary Hanafin: The advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing was established in December 2001. The committee held 38 meetings over a three year period as well as a number of other meetings at subcommittee stage. From an early stage in the committee's deliberations it became apparent that there were entrenched, divergent views among representatives of deaf and hearing persons and their families on...

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

Mary Hanafin: 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 sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use the teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. The Deputy should note that significant improvements have been made...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 119 and 137 together. I recently established a task force to consider and report on the issue of student behaviour in second level schools. The task force is chaired by Dr. Maeve Martin of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. I want the work of this task force to provide a solid foundation for developing policies and best practice in our schools...

Written Answers — Lisbon Agenda: Lisbon Agenda (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The strategic goal set at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 is to make the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion, by 2010. Education and training have a central role in achieving the Lisbon goal. The Lisbon strategy is at the core of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77, 95 and 99 together. Following consideration and approval by my Government colleagues of the broad thrust of the recommendations contained in the OECD review of higher education, I was delighted to announce yesterday the creation of a strategic innovation fund to facilitate the process of change in the sector and also the bringing forward of legislation to...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Early Start pre-school project was established in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Drogheda and Dundalk during 1994 and 1995. The aims of Early Start are to expose young children to an educational programme which would enhance their overall development, prevent school failure and offset the effects of social...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is charged with planning the provision of suitable cost effective accommodation to underpin the delivery of first and second level education. Key tasks of the section include ensuring that there are sufficient pupil places available in first and second level schools and that the use of existing accommodation is optimised. The process of assessing...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. The National Standards Authority of Ireland has recently launched a new committee to develop a standard for the safety of goalposts. Involved in this committee, in addition to the...

Written Answers — Standardised Testing: Standardised Testing (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 129 together. Within the past week, I received the advice of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, on standardised testing in compulsory schooling. This advice contains a number of recommendations all of which complement the NCCA's ongoing work on supporting assessment in schools. Standardised tests offer real potential to improve...

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 432 to 437, inclusive, and 449 to 451, inclusive, together. The advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing was established in December 2001. The committee held 38 meetings over a three year period as well as a number of other meetings at subcommittee stage. From an early stage in the committee's deliberations, it became apparent that there were...

Written Answers — School Text Books: School Text Books (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Syllabus planners are conscious of the need to avoid over frequent changes, primarily to minimise increases in the cost burden for parents. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at second level, mainly in the case of language subjects, school books are not approved or prescribed by my Department at first or second level. The publication and sale of school books are in the hands of...

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

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the concerns expressed by a number of organisations, including the Irish Primary Principals Network in their survey, about the administrative burden placed on schools and the effect this has on the workload of principals. In response to these concerns, I have already started a process of review of the administrative burden imposed on schools arising from departmental and...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The major focus for my Department at present is the roll out of broadband connectivity to all recognised schools. This project is being undertaken in partnership with industry, following the establishment of a three year €18 million joint Government/IBEC-TIF fund. The broadband connectivity will be provided via a backbone schools network supported by HEAnet, which will provide managed...

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

Mary Hanafin: Members of religious orders have kept in close touch with my Department about the evolution of trust boards in their sector. At the core of this approach is an intent and desire to secure the future of the ethos of these schools at a time when the role of members of the orders in day to day management will be greatly diminished as a result of falling numbers of religious. I do not see the...

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

Mary Hanafin: Ireland has witnessed significant growth in participation in higher education in recent decades. In 1980, only 20% of all school leavers went on to higher education, today that figure is 54%. In 1980, only 3% of children from the least well off families entered higher education. According to the most recent national survey data available — Clancy 2001 — that figure has risen to between...

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

Mary Hanafin: Significant improvements have been made in the pupil teacher ratio at both primary and post primary levels in recent years. At primary level, the ratio has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.4:1 in the 2003-04 school year. At post-primary level the pupil teacher ratio has been reduced from 16:1 to 13.6:1 in the same period. In line with Government policy, my Department will...

Written Answers — Public Private Partnerships: Public Private Partnerships (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: 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 currently 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 schools was to test the PPP approach in...

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

Mary Hanafin: I approved the provision of temporary accommodation at the all-Irish primary school in Tallaght to meet its needs for September 2005. If a second all-Irish primary school is deemed necessary in the area, it is a matter for the patron body to make an application before the new schools advisory committee. Details outlining the application procedure for new schools intending to commence...