Results 3,461-3,480 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I sanctioned the establishment of a new post primary school for the Luttrelstown area last year. The new school will be called Luttrellstown Community College and will operate under the Patronage of County Dublin VEC. My Department is working closely with Co. Dublin VEC to open the new school in September 2009 which will be temporarily located in the Institute of Horology, Mill Road,...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A reduction of €30m in the capital allocation in respect of the primary and post primary sectors was a feature of the supplementary budget delivered on 7 April 2009. The allocation now in place for the 2009 school capital programme is €613.8m and this amount is almost 5% greater than the allocation available at the beginning of the 2008 financial year. The Deputy is no doubt aware...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has been working closely with the HEA and third level institutions over the last 6 months in seeking to identify ways in which the third level sector can respond to the up-skilling needs of people who are losing their jobs or are facing uncertain employment prospects. This process resulted in the development of a number of new initiatives to support unemployed people engage in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 and 234 together. The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The survey of over 900 schools carried out by my Department was primarily carried out to consolidate information already available on individual files in order to set up a database of rented accommodation. It also obtained information on purchased prefabricated units in those schools. My Department does not hold records on an electoral area basis. However details sought by the Deputy are...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. I can inform the Deputy that the Commission operates a scheme of Reasonable Accommodations in the...

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy also intends to raise this matter with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who are the Department with primary responsibility for dealing with this matter. If there is a requirement for students to seek new school placements, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents or guardians who are...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the Department's Financial Procedures recoupments are paid to the Local Authorities in three instalments December, March/April and May/June. Mayo County Council have been paid all claims submitted to date in respect of the Higher Education Maintenance Grant. Mayo County Council confirmed that the cheques were issued to the students on Monday 27th April 2009.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new community national schools welcome and respect children of all faiths and none. They recognise and aim to accommodate the wishes of parents to have their children receive religious education within the school day and also cater for parents who do not wish their children to receive religious education based on any one particular faith. Therefore the enrolment form for the community...

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to first of all apologise to the Deputy that copies of the lists to which I referred in responding to Parliamentary Question No. 43 of 25th March were not made available to him. The lists had been available on the day but do not appear to have been circulated to deputies. However, I now attach the relevant lists together with a brief description of each one. List A gives the names and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (29 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that an application was received for large scale capital funding for an extension/refurbishment project from the School to which he refers. It was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects by my Department and assigned a Band rating of 2.4. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are two post-primary schools currently under construction in County Offaly. These schools are being delivered under a Public Private Partnership Contract. There is no specific requirement under the PPP Contracts to employ local labour and, therefore, no issue arises regarding compliance. However, it is my understanding that the Contractor in question has made some commitments in this...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 436 to 438, inclusive, together. Generally, the purchase of furniture and equipment for new and existing schools is devolved to the individual school authorities, subject to approval from my Department. It is a requirement of grant aid that public procurement procedures are strictly adhered to. National procurement procedures apply when the estimated total...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers went to tender last week. Subject to the necessary technical and financial approvals, it is expected that I will be in a position to place a contract in the near future.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In light of the Budget 2009 decision my Department has now published a circular for schools which sets out how the new arrangements will operate for the allocation of language support teachers from September 2009. The circular sets out a structured and transparent approach for the operation of the alleviation measures that were announced in the budget for schools that have a significant...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, a key focus and priority of my Department is to provide for resources in schools to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers to schools to support children...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project in question, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (28 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 446 together. It is the policy of my Department to provide all new schools with access for all facilities and special toilets for disabled teachers and students. In addition, new schools with two or more storeys are provided with lifts. My Department advises school authorities and their design teams of accessibility requirements during the...