Results 19,681-19,700 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: An application has been received from the school to which the Deputy refers towards the cost of renting and renovating the premises which it currently occupies. This application is under consideration in the school planning section of my Department. A decision will be taken in the matter as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Under the terms of my Department's maintenance grants schemes, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending approved third level courses in approved institutions. An approved course for the purpose of the schemes means a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration and a full time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an...

Written Answers — Retirement Age: Retirement Age (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Retirement by age 65 is a standard feature of public service pension schemes and usually, as in the case of established civil servants, involves retirement on the public servants 65th birthday. Special provisions applicable to teachers allow service to continue until the end of the school year in which age 65 is attained. The standard retirement age of 65 was recently addressed in the Public...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a suitable site for a new school has been identified in the Dublin 18 area. Acquisition of the site is at conveyancing stage. The school is expected to commence operation next September and the planning section of my Department is currently liaising with the chairperson of the board of management with view to procuring temporary accommodation to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department is actively engaged in pursuing the development of a second level programme for children with Asperger's syndrome on Dublin's north side. A letter outlining proposals regarding the establishment of a unit for pupils with Asperger's syndrome has recently issued to a post-primary school in that area.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The case referred to by the Deputy has been reviewed by my Department. Arising from the review, my Department's position remains that satisfactory facilities exist within the State to meet the person's educational needs. In the circumstances, it is not proposed to make funding available for the person in question towards an educational placement abroad.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Following a review by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, of the three technological subjects at leaving certificate level four syllabi have been submitted to my Department for consideration. These are engineering technology, formerly engineering; architectural technology, formerly construction studies; design and communication graphics, formerly technical drawing; and...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (17 Feb 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 their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes. The Deputy should note that significant improvements have been...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has submitted an application for grant aid under the summer works scheme, SWS, for roof repairs and mechanical works. All SWS applications are currently being assessed in the school planning section of my Department. I intend to publish the list of successful applicants shortly.

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Information in the detail requested is not available in the Department but will be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners. The staffing schedule is structured to ensure that all primary schools...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: Language development is a central element of the revised primary curriculum. Although the focus is on English and Irish, a number of primary schools also offer foreign languages. My Department launched a pilot project for modern languages in primary schools in September 1998. The aims of the pilot project included the development of communication skills in four target languages which are...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The Heads of State and Government, in their discussions in Barcelona in March 2002, reaffirmed the important role of education and training in developing a dynamic, efficient and inclusive Europe. In their conclusions they paid particular attention to, inter alia, the mastery of basic skills, including proficiency in foreign languages. The issue of basic skills has been addressed in the White...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: In the interest of rational arrangements for the purposes of educational provision, the country is divided into catchment areas, each of which has its own post-primary education centre. These areas were drawn up in the late 1960s in the context of the free education scheme. The catchment boundaries were determined following consultation with local educational interests and the intention was...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department considered an application for resource teaching hours for the person in question. The school was advised on 4 February 2005 that the pupil does not qualify for resource teaching support as the application did not meet the criteria for such support.

Written Answers — Departmental Credit Cards: Departmental Credit Cards (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The information that the Deputy has sought is as follows. The total expenditure in respect of the three credit cards issued for departmental use for the said period was €27,511.08. The transactions covered by this expenditure were subsistence and hospitality expenses associated with official duties and the purchase of IT equipment and services. Of the total amount in excess of 62% was spent...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department has had two contracts with public relations consultants within the past three years. In the year to June 2002, an amount of €32,743.65 was paid to Dennehy Associates for general public relations advice and services. Reporting in respect of this contract was to the then Secretary General of my Department. The second contract was with Carr Communications and was placed late in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: My Department's special education section has no record of receiving an application for special educational needs supports from the school in question. The National Council for Special Education has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs. The council's responsibilities include deciding on applications...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: The compulsory school starting age in a national school is six years of age and rule 64(1) of the rules for national schools provides that a child must be at least four years of age before she-he may be enrolled in a national school. Children of compulsory school-going age must have a place in a national school and overall there are more than enough places available. Enrolment in individual...

State Bodies. (17 Feb 2005)

Mary Hanafin: I wish to reply on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. While the Minister may give general policy directives to the agency, he is precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual...