Results 2,001-2,020 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The laptop which was stolen from an Inspector's car contained draft reports on quality and standards in the classrooms of teachers on probation. The teachers concerned were not informed of the theft of this laptop as: (a) the laptop was used by the Inspector for occasional work only and an exact list of the draft reports on the laptop at the time it was stolen was not available and (b) the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 a place in the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the Programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up recently in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas, including Swords. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Grants-in-aid are a form of exchequer assistance to agencies or for the provision of services by agencies and are detailed in the Revised Estimates for Public Services ("the REV") published each year. This would be available in the Oireachtas Library or on the Department of Finance web-site. The Grants-in Aid appear as individual sub-heads of the Department's vote. The Department of...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an application for Emergency Funding for roof works from the school in question. Emergency works grants are made available to schools most in need of resources as a result of unforeseen emergencies of a capital nature that may arise during the school year. Following assessment of the application from this school and in light of the large number of projects seeking...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Emergency works grants are made available to schools most in need of resources as a result of unforeseen emergencies of a capital nature that may arise during the school year. It is incumbent on the school to provide as much detail as possible to the Department on the nature of the emergency and the need for an emergency works grant to be paid to address the emergency. All applications are...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The primary school capitation grant has been increased substantially in recent years. Since 2000 the standard rate of capitation grant has been increased from €81.26 per pupil to its current rate of €178.58. This represents an increase of almost 120% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 2000. I would like to assure the Deputy that it is a key priority for the Government to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004, over 3,000 projects, costing in excess of €300 million, have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, the particular emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while also showing the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information which the Deputy requested in relation to the number of primary teachers who graduated is shown in the table. The number of vacancies in primary schools varies throughout the school year and are managed at local level by individual school Boards of Management. Under the terms of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management of a primary school is responsible for the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together. The information requested by the Deputy is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded direct to him.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department, in May this year, advised Vocational Education Committees by circular letter of the coming into operation of revised pension arrangements for certain part-time staff, including members of the Vocational Teachers Superannuation Scheme. These revised arrangements, which will result in a difference in pension benefit and contribution level for part-time staff, form part of Public...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school in Co. Meath referred to by the Deputy opened in temporary accommodation on the grounds of a GAA club in September 2007. The funding given by the Department to the school authorities for the rental of this temporary accommodation was per normal Department conditions and the Department was not aware of any need for the school authorities to enter into a loan arrangement to allow the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that following a technical examination of the two acre site in question, my officials wrote to the local developer requesting contract and title documents. A reply is awaited.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, major improvements have been made in staffing at primary level in recent years. There are now in the region of 6,000 more primary teachers than there were in 2002. By the 2006/07 school year, we had reduced the average class size in our primary schools to 24, while the pupil teacher ratio was 16.4:1, including resource teachers etc. In that year, schools were...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (26 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) Courses. The Higher Education Grant Scheme is...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (1 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand from the Higher Education Authority that as of 1st March 2007 there were 1,961 full time undergraduate students on courses in agriculture and related disciplines in the Universities and Institutes of Technology. Agri-business is not a separate discipline and the HEA is not in a position to extract figures by course title in the time available to answer this question. This...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (1 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under Statute in 2002 and is governed by the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. The Board was established to make fair and reasonable payments to persons who, as children, were abused while residents in Industrial Schools, Reformatories and other institutions subject to State regulation or inspection and who were...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme 2007, a grant of €380,000 was sanctioned for the school in question to enable the Board of Management to extend and refurbish their school. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs. Rather the terms of the Scheme require the schools to tailor the scope of capital works commissioned to the available...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy may be aware that special schools cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years of age until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. At that point, the health sector assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are over 18 years. My Department, at that stage, may allocate resources...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (1 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Projected enrolments for September 2008 indicate an increase rather than any decrease on the previous year's enrolments.