Results 6,161-6,180 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It has been my Department's practice in recent years to increase the reckonable income limits under the maintenance grant schemes in line with movements in the average industrial wage. The income limits for the academic year 2008/2009 for the standard rate of maintenance grant have been increased by 2.8% on the basis of the increase in the average industrial wage for the period September...

Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The student services charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services. The charge agreed with the department for the current academic year is €900. All students who are eligible for means tested student support have the student charge paid on their behalf by the Local Authorities or the Vocational Education Committees, in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for an extension project at the school referred to by the Deputy was received in my Department in 1996. The proposed extension project is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. Officials from my Department's professional and technical unit recently visited the school and, as a result, a revised schedule of accommodation to meet the long term accommodation needs...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The issue of additional resources for the Visiting Teacher service for the Visually Impaired will be considered in the context of the overall funding being made available to my Department for 2009. Referral agencies, schools and parents of pre-school children with visual impairment currently are being informed by Visiting Teacher management of an interim telephone advisory service that is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school building has recently been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the Department in its submission to the Kilternan/Glenamuck Local Area Plan requested that it would be prudent for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to reserve suitable sites, approximately 19 acres in total, for two primary schools and one post-primary school to meet the future school accommodation needs of the area. In general, the Department considers site...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an appeal on the 18 September 2008 in relation to the candidate referred to by the Deputy. It will be necessary for officials in my Department to examine the appeal. As soon as this examination is complete a decision will be issued to the individual concerned.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for additional accommodation was received in late 2007 from the school referred to by the Deputy. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed project for the school in question is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, 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 competing demands on the...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposal from Co. Westmeath VEC to which the Deputy refers was considered by officials of my Department and funding was not approved. The decision was upheld on appeal, and my Department wrote to the CEO of the VEC on 26 May 2008 advising him of the position. The decision was again confirmed at a meeting between officials of my Department and the CEO on 23 July 2008.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Mullingar element of the decentralisation of my Department's Headquarters will take place when new permanent accommodation is ready for occupation. This is likely to be sometime in 2010. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has procured a site in Mullingar for the development of the new headquarters of my Department. In December 2007, the OPW announced a preferred tenderer for a bundle...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning and is currently awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy is not held in my Department in a readily accessibly format. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years, with the appointment of 6,000 extra teachers in the primary sector alone since 2002. In considering the need to provide extra resources and teachers to schools in recent years, the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 218, 224 and 230 together. My Department has asked South Dublin County Council to identify a site for the development of a second level school in Lucan. A timeframe for the delivery of the school will be known when a suitable site has been identified and acquired. The local authority has a number of Local Area Plans in train and it is likely that a site...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 229 together. The Department is in negotiation with County Dublin Vocational Education Committee regarding the provision of a site for the school in question. The acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. I am not in a position to say at this stage when...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, 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 — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Lyons Estate is in the ownership of University College Dublin. The Institution is an autonomous body, with the day-to-day management of the Institution's affairs being a matter for its Governing Body. I have been informed by the HEA that in March 2006, UCD's Governing Authority approved a review of the suitability of the Lyons Estate for the University's future needs and the possible...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department is in negotiations with County Dublin Vocational Education Committee regarding the provision of a site for the school in question. The acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. I am not in a position to say at this stage when the acquisition will be concluded.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget of my Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the acquisition of the school site at this time.