Hanafin, MaryWednesday, 7 June 2006 |
Dáil Eireann Debate
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Order of Business.
Question put: “That the proposal for dealing with Private Members’ business be agreed.”
Voted Yes 
Written Answers - School Staffing.
Was asked: if she will allocate the teacher requested by a school (details supplied) in Dublin 10 due to the conditions and concerns that pertain in this case.
Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is require...
Written Answers - Youth Services.
Was asked: if she will ensure that sufficient youth workers can be recruited to enable a club (details supplied) in Dublin 3 to provide services to children and young people in the area; and if she will make a s...
Written Answers - Capitation Grants.
Was asked: if capitation grants to primary schools will be increased to reflect the recent increase in energy prices.
Primary schools’ running costs are met by my Department’s scheme of capitation grants. These grants are intended to contribute towards the general operating costs of schools which would include heatin...
Written Answers - Pupil-Teacher Ratio.
Was asked: if her attention has been drawn to the high pupil/teacher ratio in a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and her plans to alleviate same.
The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30th September of the previous school year and by reference to a staffing schedule. The sta...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: if she has noted the concern of the parents association of a school (details supplied) in County Monaghan; her views on whether the road crossing through the school has health and safety implications;...
An application for an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria and is being con...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: the planning which is in place to ensure sufficient second level places in schools in Swords, County Dublin; the discussions, she has had with the management of the school following the queueing over ...
Was asked: if she will report on existing applications within her Department from a school (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will respond to same.
Was asked: if, in view of the demand from parents in the Swords catchment area for their children to be educated at a school (details supplied) in County Dublin, she will initiate discussions with the school aut...
I propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 369 and 370 together. Officials in the School Planning Section of my Department have not been made aware of any shortage of places in post-primary provision in Sw...
Was asked: the plans which are in place to increase the number of places in national schools in Skerries, Balbriggan and Lusk, County Dublin, in view of the increasing populations in these villages and towns; if...
I am aware that there is extensive housing development and population increase in the Skerries, Balbriggan and Lusk areas of Fingal County and that this has led to increased demand for school places. ...
Written Answers - Vocational Education Committees.
Was asked: if further to her letter of 20 December 2005 and a parliamentary question of 13 December 2005 she will address all the queries posed; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The appointment of permanent teachers in a Vocational Education Committee is a matter for the relevant VEC subject to agreed procedures. The queries to which the Deputy refers are currently under cons...
Was asked: when her Department purchased a property at Montbard, France, which was originally bought by Westmeath vocational educational committee; the price which was paid at the time for the property; and the ...
Was asked: the expenditure by Westmeath vocational educational committee on a property at Montbard, France, in particular the cost of running FÁS and Youthreach programmes for the duration of the tenancy by West...
Was asked: the selling price of the Westmeath vocational educational committee property at Montbard, France; and the date on which this sale was finalised.
Was asked: the procedures which were undertaken to sell the Westmeath vocational educational committee property at Montbard, France; and if an auctioneer was engaged to sell the property or if it was sold by pub...
Was asked: the number and duration of visits by Departmental personnel to the Montbard Project in France; and the costs associated with each visit.
Written Answers - School Absenteeism.
Was asked: the measures she is taking to stop parents taking their children out of school in term time due to the fact that holidays are cheaper; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the British Gove...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the number of students at third level colleges with an intellectual disability.
Data is not currently being collected on participation by students with an intellectual disability on courses in third level institutions. I have been advised by the National Access Office of the HEA,...
Written Answers - Student Support Schemes.
Was asked: the reason grants are not made available for persons who wish to take up part-time third level degree courses, particularly parents of young children for whom a part time course is their only option.
Part-time courses are not approved courses under the terms of the Maintenance Grant Schemes. Any extension of the student support schemes to part-time studies would have significant cost implications....
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: the funding available to secondary schools for the building of drama or performing arts facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
My Department’s planning guidelines for new post-primary school buildings allows for the provision of an 80m² music/drama room for schools that offer music as a subject on the school curriculum. The g...
Written Answers - School Management.
Was asked: the average annual cost of insurance incurred by both primary and secondary schools in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas; the breakdown of these costs on a school by school basis; the details of assistan...
My Department does not collect data on the insurance costs in schools as it is a matter for the managerial authorities of the individual schools to arrange insurance cover on school property and again...
Written Answers - School Enrolments.
Was asked: the percentage of children attending primary and secondary schools in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas who were born outside the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of primary schools is not available in my Department. However, my Department is developing a Primary Pupil Database which will monitor the progressio...
Written Answers - Languages Programme.
Was asked: the percentage of children attending primary and secondary schools in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas who do not have English as a first language; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department.
Written Answers - School Enrolments.
Was asked: the average waiting period for admission to each of the primary and secondary schools in the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The information requested by the Deputy is not held in my Department. Details of enrolments at both primary and post primary level are kept by school authorities.
Written Answers - Education Centre Network.
Was asked: the reason for not granting full-time status to a centre (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if she will reconsider her decision; the measures needed to ensure that the centre may obtain full-time...
The part-time Education Centre covered by the Deputy’s question is part of a network of twenty one full-time and nine part-time Education Centres which are located throughout the Country. Education Ce...
Written Answers - School Enrolments.
Was asked: if there is a policy within vocational educational committee schools whereby pupils will not be admitted to second level where they were previously at second level in England without the production of...
There is no sector-wide policy such as that referred to by the Deputy. However, I understand that the particular school in question has, as part of it’s admissions policy, a requirement that reports f...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if there is anything in law to prevent a child going from fifth class in a national school to first year in a secondary school, thereby missing sixth class, in view of the fact that the secondary scho...
I wish to assure the Deputy that I am most anxious that all children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, receive an education appropriate to their needs. It is in recognition of this...
Written Answers - Schools Recognition.
Was asked: when the review of recognition of a secondary school (details supplied) in County Wexford will be completed; when they can start enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Authorities from the proposed school to which the Deputy refers has been informed by my Department that a review of educational provision in the area concerned is being carried out by the School Plann...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: if she has made a decision with regard to the application of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick for inclusion in band 1.1 of the primary school building programme; and if she will make a s...
The Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy have submitted a request for a revision of the current band rating for its proposed project. The documentation received from the school ...
Was asked: when she will sanction an extension to a school (details supplied) in Limerick to include science laboratories, art and technology rooms and classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
An application for capital funding towards the provision of an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed in accordance with the prioritis...
Written Answers - Pupil-Teacher Ratio.
Was asked: the breakdown of primary school class sizes for each county showing in each case the number of pupils in classes of 19 and under, 20 to 29, 30 to 39 and 40 plus; and if she will make a statement on th...
The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table set out as follows. As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next Sep...
Was asked: the names of the schools which have not yet supplied information to her Department on class size, by way of annual return forms; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I am glad to inform the Deputy that as of 6 June 2006 all National Schools have returned their Annual Primary Census Form for the school-year 2005/2006.
Written Answers - Higher Education Grants.
Was asked: if she will supply the information requested in Parliamentary Question Nos. 583 of 14 February 2006, 520 of 4 April 2006 and 495 of 23 May 2006; the socio-economic background in tabular form, of recip...
Information provided to date to the Student Support Unit of my Department regarding the socio-economic background of third level grant recipients is currently being verified with the Awarding Authorit...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the progress that has been made in establishing a centre (details supplied) in County Armagh; the amount expended on the project to date; when she expects the centre to open; and if she will make a st...
My Department and the Department for Education in Northern Ireland are engaged in the development of the Middletown Centre for Autism in County Armagh. The purchase of the Middletown property to house...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: if, in view of assurances that a decision on the future of a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow would be made some weeks ago, she will provide a timeframe for a final decision on the applicat...
A decision will be made on the application to establish a new Educate Together school in West Wicklow within days. The reason the decision was deferred at the time that the list of new schools was ann...
Written Answers - Teaching Qualifications.
Was asked: if she will extend the time available to a person (details supplied) in order to complete satisfactorily their Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Teachers trained outside the jurisdiction of the State, whose qualifications have been assessed and accepted by my Department, but who do not possess an appropriate Irish language qualification, are g...
Was asked: the measures necessary to enable a person (details supplied) who is currently pursuing their Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge with provisional recognition in order that they might access a career break.
Teachers in national schools are generalists rather than subject specialists and must be qualified to teach the range of primary school subjects to children aged 4 to 12 years. Accordingly, applicants...
Written Answers - Third Level Fees.
Was asked: the alternative arrangements the Government will introduce, in view of the decision by the British Government to introduce fees in the six counties, in assisting students in this jurisdiction attendin...
Under my Department’s Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved third-level courses in the State. There are no plans to extend this init...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if assistance will be given to a person (details supplied); and if she will work with the family on this matter.
As the Deputy is aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is now operational. A specific function of the NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs)...
Written Answers - Schools Building Projects.
Was asked: the position in relation to an application for grant aid for major capital works by a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow and a letter from her Department of 26 April 2006 as there is no timef...
An application for major capital funding was received from the school authority to which the deputy refers. Officials in the School Planning Section of my Department have assessed the long-term needs ...
Written Answers - School Accommodation.
Was asked: her plans to provide funding for an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; if the assessment of the school’s likely long term accommodation needs has been finalised; and if so, the d...
As advised to the Deputy recently, the school authority has submitted an application to my Department for additional accommodation to include additional classrooms and ancillary accommodation. The pro...
Written Answers - Computerisation Programme.
Was asked: the name and location of each school, primary and second level that do not have broadband access as of 1 May 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department is engaged in the roll-out of broadband internet connectivity to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. This project is being undertaken in partne...
Written Answers - Departmental Records.
Was asked: the number of students from County Louth who are attending third level institutions in the Six Counties; and the number of students from County Louth who are attending third level institutions here.
The most up to date figures available to my Department show that in the 2003/04 academic year, a total of 3132 students from Louth were enrolled in full-time third level courses in the Republic. Figur...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: the progress which has been made in increasing the number of National Education Psychological Service psychologists available in the Limerick region.
All primary and post primary schools in Limerick have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Schem...
Written Answers - Pupil-Teacher Ratio.
Was asked: her plans for reducing class sizes in the next academic year for the 4,400 primary students in Limerick City and County who are in classes of 30 or more.
As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in primary school staffing in recent years. Next September there will no less than 4000 extra teachers in our primary schools, compared w...
Written Answers - Departmental Staff.
Was asked: if a person (details supplied) in County Galway is entitled to another year’s career break on top of the five years they will have completed by 2 July 2006 in view of the fact that they propose to ret...
The person referred to by the Deputy was granted a career break for a period of six months from 2 July 2001 for the purpose of rearing her children. Her career break was subsequently extended at six m...
Written Answers - Bullying in Schools.
Was asked: further to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 25 May 2006 the reason no mechanism exists whereby incidents of school bullying are recorded for reference to her Department; if her attention...
I can assure the Deputy of my concern that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying — be it physical, verbal or cyber and am anxious that all schools have effective practices in place ...
Written Answers - Disruptive Students.
Was asked: the Department guidelines regarding restraining an unruly or violent child in primary school and the way in which they would be applied to a six year old child; and if she will make a statement on the...
My Department has currently no guidelines in relation to restraining unruly or violent children in primary schools. Should the Deputy provide my Department with specific details in relation to the cas...
Written Answers - Special Educational Needs.
Was asked: if all special needs assistants receive specific training in techniques of restraint and containment of pupils in primary school to prevent them from injuring themselves or others or from destroying s...
Special Needs Assistants are recruited specifically to assist in the care of pupils with special educational needs in an educational context. They may be appointed to a special school or a mainstream ...
Written Answers - Disruptive Students.
Was asked: if it is appropriate that the Gardaí would be called for a six year old child who threw a chair, without injuring anyone, in a school; her views on if it is appropriate that four adults pinned a six y...
My Department has not been made aware of the incident referred to by the Deputy. Should the Deputy provide more specific details on the case referred to, my Department would be happy to examine the ma...
| Last Updated: 03/11/2010 23:05:19 |
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