Results 181-200 of 20,682 for speaker:Mary Hanafin
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: Officials in the school planning section of my Department, in conjunction with the schools management authorities are examining the provision of primary education in the area in question. The purpose of the examination is to determine the likely demand for primary school places in the medium to long term and how existing provision can be maximised to cater for this demand. The school planning...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: My Department received an application for additional accommodation from the school referred to by the Deputy in March 1999. The building project is at an early stage of architectural planning, stage 1-2 â site suitability-outline sketch scheme. It has a band 3 rating. My Department's officials are reviewing all projects that were not authorised to proceed to construction as part of the 2004...
- Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: Children in schools served by the National Educational Psychological Service have access to its service, free of charge, which includes the provision of individual psychological assessments where appropriate. Unfortunately, my Department is not yet in a position to offer this service to all schools. As an interim measure, my Department funds the scheme for commissioning psychological...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for special needs assistant support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The National Educational Psychological Service has recommended five hours special needs assistant support per week for the pupil in question. Evidence provided in supporting documentation does not meet criteria for allocation of a full-time SNA under the...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to my Department for additional teaching support for the pupil. My Department allocates additional teaching support and special needs assistant support to second level schools and vocational educational committees to cater for pupils with special educational needs. Each application...
- Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: The funding for the youth affairs section of my Department for 2004 is â¬28.624 million which is an increase of 5.5% over the 2003 allocation of â¬27.123 million. This allocation includes an amount of â¬500,000 which has been made available in 2004 towards the implementation of the national youth work development plan. Funding for the youth work sector has increased by approximately 60%...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: An application for grant aid towards additional accommodation has been received from the management authority of the school to which the Deputy refers. My officials are nearing completion of a review of all projects including projects that may be suitable for the devolved scheme in line with the revised prioritisation criteria that resulted from consultation with the partners. The purpose of...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: Under my Department's weighted system of allocation, the appropriate level of special needs teaching support is determined by the schools' enrolment figures and based on the following criteria: in the most disadvantaged schools, as per the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs will be allocated for every 80 pupils to cater for the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: The project referred to by the Deputy is a new 24-classroom primary school which is listed for proceeding to tender and construction as part of the 2004 school building programme. The timeframe to have accommodation ready for the school is September 2005. Tenders for the detailed design and construction of this new school have recently been received and are currently being evaluated. Planning...
- Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: My Department specifies the minimum academic requirements for entry to primary teacher training courses, the Bachelor of Education degree programme, provided in the five colleges of education. The selection process for school leavers is through the Central Applications Office. Places on the Bachelor of Education degree programme are determined by an order of merit list based on points...
- Written Answers — Teacher Training Costs: Teacher Training Costs (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: A unit cost system of allocating funds to the five colleges of education which provide training for primary teachers has not been developed as the costing and funding arrangements vary significantly within the colleges of education sector. The Church of Ireland College of Education is funded on a budget basis by my Department. The annual budget for the college is allocated on the basis of its...
- Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: The information requested is being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy in due course.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: I confirm that a new application in the case of the pupil in question was received by my Department in July 2004. At present, my Department is considering the levels and deployment of SNA support in mainstream national schools generally. A decision on the application will be conveyed to the school as soon as this process has been completed.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: The school planning section of my Department is examining all building projects on hands in line with the project prioritisation criteria that were recently revised in consultation with the education partners. The proposed project at the school to which the Deputy refers is included in this review. I expect to be in a position to provide an update in relation to the progress of individual...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: My Department is introducing a weighted system of teacher allocation for primary school pupils requiring learning support and those with higher-incidence special educational needs. An additional 350 teaching posts are being allocated to facilitate the introduction of the new system. The weighted system is intended to improve and streamline the special education resource allocation process. In...
- Seanad: Schools Amalgamation. (13 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: I thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for your welcome and kind comments. I also thank Senator Kitt for raising this issue, one of the schools being his alma mater, and Senator Ulick Burke for his comments. Senator Burke is correct that significant change is involved in regard to education structure, demographics and needs among trustees of the schools, which is not only significant for the education...
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (13 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: I thank Senators Daly and Dooley for raising this issue and for their kind comments. Scoil Seanain Naofa, Clonlara, County Clare, has an enrolment of 301 pupils so I am delighted to hear there were 400 parents at the meeting. It shows a true commitment on the part of families. The school has a staffing level of a principal and 11 mainstream class teachers, one learning support teacher and one...
- Special Educational Needs: Motion. (19 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Ãireann" and substitute the following: "commends the Government for the significant additional resources made available for the education of pupils with special educational needs; and welcomes the legislative and administrative measures being taken by the Government to improve the framework within which services are delivered to pupils...
- Special Educational Needs: Motion. (19 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: As had operated in the case of the learning support service, small schools are being clustered for the purpose of the weighted allocations. The Department's inspectorate is finalising the clustering arrangements. The weighted model involves the allocation of additional teaching posts as well as redeployment of resources between schools. This redeployment will be facilitated through the...
- Special Educational Needs: Motion. (19 Oct 2004)
Mary Hanafin: Not in the middle of my contribution. I forgot to mention at the beginning that I wanted to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan.