Results 18,661-18,680 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

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

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 143, 152 and 394 together. In light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Applications for capital funding for schools are assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria, which was revised following consultation with the education partners. I have now announced the first phases of the 2005 schools building and modernisation programme which provided details of: 122 major school building projects country wide, including 89 primary school projects,...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department continues to progress the recommendations of the task force on the physical sciences as resources permit in collaboration and consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Forfás and industry. One of the recommendations in that report was the appointment of a chief scientist who would have responsibility for overseeing developments under the task force...

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

Mary Hanafin: The current situation is that 1,772 national schools have psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, directly assigned to them and, therefore, have access to the full NEPS service. All schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, whereby the schools can commission...

Written Answers — Multi-Denominational Schools: Multi-Denominational Schools (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of Educate Together's call for more state support for multidenominational schools. Significant Government funding, €14.1 million, has been provided for capital projects in Educate Together schools in recent years, including six new schools in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Kildare. Of all the new schools recognised in the past three years, 12 were Educate Together schools. A total...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department, through its agencies, is currently funding a number of projects in this area. The agencies and projects are the following. The Higher Education Authority, under the programme for research in third level institutions, is funding: Environment Research Institute, University College Cork, which aims to develop expertise in the areas of wind energy and other sustainable energy...

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

Mary Hanafin: The review of the school transport scheme within my Department is at an advanced stage. I have no plans to introduce new charges for pupils attending primary schools.

Written Answers — Register of Offenders: Register of Offenders (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: A cross governmental working group was established to put forward proposals for reform of vetting by the central vetting unit run by the Garda Síochána. Among its recommendations was the proposal that the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children explore the possibility of developing an employment history register, similar to the PECS system in Northern Ireland. An...

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

Mary Hanafin: My Department is responsible for teacher education and development, with particular regard to initial teacher education covering the colleges of education and the education departments in the universities and colleges. Applications for the higher diploma in education are made through the Higher Diploma in Education — National University of Ireland — Applications Centre, known as the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 125 together. On 9 March 2005, the Government made a decision to appoint the then Secretary General of the Department of Health and Children to the position of full-time chairman of the Higher Education Authority. This appointment took effect from 11 April 2005 for a two year period. This two year period has been identified as a key transitional phase...

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

Mary Hanafin: The second advice from the NCCA on proposals to reform of senior cycle education was sent to me on 19 April 2005. Clearly, we are all concerned that our education system should be positioned so that it continues to maintain excellence, relevance, quality and inclusiveness in the changing climate which lies ahead. The proposals are ambitious and far reaching and I have already expressed some...

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

Mary Hanafin: The school in question has an application with my Department for a major capital project, which has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects revised last year in consultation with the education partners. This project will be progressed in the context of the school buildings and modernisation programme from 2005 to 2009. The...

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

Mary Hanafin: The most recent data on participation rates at third level is that published in the HEA review of higher education participation in 2003, which showed that participation in higher education among the school leaver age cohort has passed the 50% mark for the first time. The study puts the overall transfer rate to higher education at 54% in 2003, as against 44% in 1998, 36% in 1992, 25% in 1986...

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

Mary Hanafin: According to my Department's records, in the current school year 144 male teachers have been appointed for the first time as permanent or temporary qualified teachers at primary level. The equivalent figure for female teachers is 1,213. The female to male ratio is, therefore, in the order of 9:1. The relatively low number of males in the teaching force is a feature common to all OECD...

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

Mary Hanafin: I have recently indicated that I accept as a matter of principle that income generated by higher education institutions from external sources should not be subject to off setting in the allocation of Exchequer funding. This is in a context where the recent OECD review of Irish higher education recommended that institutions should be incentivised to seek external sources of funding. However,...

Written Answers — Suicide Prevention: Suicide Prevention (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am aware of the serious problem of youth suicide and of the vital role schools can play in prevention. Prevention needs to be addressed at whole school level through provision of relevant curricula for all children, through effective implementation of the social personal and health education, SPHE, programme and through the provision of care afforded by a good pastoral system, including the...

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

Mary Hanafin: I will shortly publish a new framework for tackling disadvantage in education. The new action plan will build on the success of existing programmes, while addressing the issues that have diluted the overall effectiveness of some measures. The new approach to tackling disadvantage will include better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools and a single integrated programme of...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (26 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The most recent published analysis by my Department of school retention in Ireland was released in August 2004. The report indicates that of those who commenced the junior cycle programme in September 1994, approximately 3,600 or 5.7% left school before completing the junior certificate three years later. My Department's approach to addressing the issue of retention in schools comprises...

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

Mary Hanafin: As part of a review of all projects for the 2005 capital programme, the application for capital funding from the school in question was assessed against the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects which were revised last year following consultation with the education partners. Under this review all projects were assigned a band rating and the progress of individual...