Results 18,961-18,980 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The children referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied are not eligible for free transport to the school in question as they reside nearer to a school that closed and amalgamated. In the case of amalgamations, the national school children for whom the closed national school would have been the nearest, had it remained open, are eligible for transport to the school of amalgamation...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: That has been done.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Go raibh maith agat a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis na Seanadóirí. It is always a pleasure to come to the Seanad where the debate is usually calm, constructive and non-aggressive. I thank the Government side for its motion which is neither sycophantic nor laudatory but in fact sets out the progress that has been made by the Government in recent years. While...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Those figures speak for themselves about the real progress and the targeting of resources that is being made for children with special needs. The statistics outlined refer to the provision of education for children with special needs largely in mainstream national schools. However, education for children with special educational needs is provided in a variety of settings. In addition to...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The idea of having a model is to ensure that resource teachers are in place and in the school before the child even comes there. The model was constructed, looking at pupil numbers——

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: ——based on all of the numbers in our schools throughout the country. We have evidence to show there are differing needs for children in disadvantaged areas and there is substantial evidence that boys have greater difficulty than girls. These are some of the issues that had to be taken into account. There are a number of advantages in having a model which everybody accepts, except some of...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: As soon as the classroom teacher identifies the need it means the resource is already in place within the school and he or she may ensure the child can avail of it. It certainly gives the schools more certainty instead of waiting from one year to the next to find out what the allocation will be and it makes the posts more attractive to qualified teachers. However, there is some confusion. We...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: ——and there are 6,000 of those. I am surprised that Senator Ulick Burke is even more confused than I thought he was.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The special needs assistants are assigned to individual children based on serious medical or physical need. They are not in any way affected by this model. Equally, children in the lower incident disability categories will, of course, continue to be allocated resources on the basis of their individual needs. It became evident to me that the particular model allocated last year would give rise...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am talking about pupil-teacher ratios. Senator Ulick Burke is confused again.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Senator is confusing pupil-teacher ratio and class size.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Over 4,000 additional teachers have been employed in our primary schools since 1997 and over 2,000 at second level. These additional teaching posts have been used to reduce class sizes, to tackle educational disadvantage and to provide additional resources for children with special needs. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, class sizes will be further reduced.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: This, however, can only be done on a phased basis——

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: ——having regard to the available resources.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Various publications from the teachers' unions have noted that the reduction of class sizes will not necessarily improve outcomes. It has been noted in some disadvantaged schools with a pupil-teacher of 20:1 that literacy levels still did not improve.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: We need to examine new teaching methods and approaches as well as the issue of class sizes. The deployment of additional posts will be decided within the context of the overall policy. Priority will continue to be given to pupils with special needs, those from disadvantaged areas and pupils in junior classes.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: On the issue of the untrained teachers as opposed to the unqualified ones, as I stated at the teachers' unions' conferences, the Department will be writing to schools setting out that there is no need for untrained teachers.

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Department will be writing to the boards of management setting out the position on untrained teachers. It is important that children are taught by fully qualified teachers, particularly as more are now available. I will shortly be publishing a new framework on tackling educational disadvantage. Millions of euro are spent on tackling disadvantage. It is to the credit of any Government to...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The progress ranges from the new guidance counsellors, as raised by Senator Ormonde. I recently announced an extra 100 counsellor positions which I am conscious must be targeted at junior cycle students. This is not only from my own experience and teachers, but from delegates to Dáil na nÓg. Many delegates believed most guidance was needed in the transition period between primary and...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Motion. (13 Apr 2005)

Mary Hanafin: It also includes Government commitments already set out which we will continue to address——