Results 2,401-2,420 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department does not operate a debt relief scheme for schools. However a small number of schools have sought assistance as an exceptional matter to deal with serious financial difficulties. Between 2002 and 2006, additional financial assistance for this purpose was provided to a total of 97 schools, mainly serving disadvantaged areas. In 2002, 26 schools received approximately €341,000....

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There were seven new schools that looked for an advance of the capitation and ancillary services grants in 2007. All seven received half the capitation grant and their full ancillary services grant at that time. All new schools receive an ancillary services grant in October each year to cover the cost of employing a secretary and/or caretaker for the months from September to December, as the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the education sector, vetting is currently done in respect of newly appointed teachers via the initial registration process with the Teaching Council. It is also done for prospective employees for posts that involve working with children such as Special Needs Assistants (SNAs), bus drivers, bus escorts to children with special needs, caretakers and other ancillary staff. As the expansion...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The recruitment of teachers is managed at local level by individual school Boards of Management and Vocational Education Committees. According to my Department records at 30 June 2006, there were a total of 27,525 teachers at primary level and 27,055 whole time teacher equivalents at post primary level. The latest available data at 30 March, 2008 show corresponding figures for primary and...

Written Answers — School Management. : School Management. (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 706 and 707 together. The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tables. Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, only commenced in 2001. Suspensions can only be appealed under Section 29 where the cumulative period of suspension is for 20 school days or more in any one school year. Section 29 Appeals under the...

Written Answers — School Management. : School Management. (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tables. Section 29 appeals only commenced in 2001. Suspensions can only be appealed under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, where the cumulative period of suspension is for 20 school days or more in any one school year. There are five possible outcomes for an appeal. The appeal may be withdrawn by the appellant. There...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 709 and 710 together. On 1st February last 18 large-scale projects were announced to proceed to tender and construction. The projects to be provided in rapidly developing areas in 2008 were also announced at the same time. Of those 18 large-scale projects, 12 are currently on site with the remainder due to go to construction as soon as possible. It is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 713 and 735 together. To date, my Department has, or is currently in the process of acquiring a total of 8 sites in the Fingal County Council administrative area. The sites in question range in size from c.4 acre sites for primary schools to c.10 acre campus sites for primary and post-primary schools. However, due to the commercial sensitivities attached to...

Written Answers — Education Projects: Education Projects (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 714 and 715 together. The recommendation proposing the establishment of a drugs rehabilitation fund is contained in the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Rehabilitation which was published in March 2007. This report also calls for the identification and removal of any barriers that might impede recovering drug users in accessing education. I see the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decentralisation to Athlone is practically complete. Seven posts were recently relocated from Dublin to Mullingar. The main relocation of posts from Dublin to Mullingar will take place when the new office accommodation in Mullingar is ready for occupation. Approximately 125 posts are now held by officers who will relocate to Mullingar with their posts. Volunteers for decentralisation will...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Athlone element of the decentralisation of my Department is almost complete. Further Education Section, Teacher Education Section, Social Inclusion Unit, Staff Training & Development Unit and almost all of Post Primary Administration Section are now based in Athlone. Post Primary Administration Section will be fully based in Athlone within the next few weeks. Assignments will be made to 7...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Schools Broadband Access Programme is being undertaken in partnership with industry in the context of a Government — IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Agreement to provide local broadband connectivity to schools. This voluntary Agreement provides for the establishment of a three year €18m joint Government-IBEC/TIF Fund, with industry contributing €5m per annum...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am publishing the report 'Investing Effectively in Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2008-2013' prepared by the Strategy Group appointed to advise on priorities for investment in ICT in Schools. This report highlights the need for an integrated approach across a range of areas covering teacher professional development, digital content, broadband, technical support and...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 737 together. My Department is working closely with the Teaching Council to ensure that the Council is in a position to fully discharge the relevant functions of the Teaching Council Act in advance of the commencement of the corresponding sections of the Act. As stated in April by my predecessor, it is intended to commence Section 30 of Teaching...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Over 75% of pupils are in classes of less than 30 pupils. Preliminary indications from my Department's analysis of statistical returns from schools for the current school year appear to indicate that there has been a drop in the numbers of pupils in classes of over 30 pupils. The analysis of all the returns from schools has yet to be completed and the final outcome will be published later in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based...

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement. The Deputy may be further aware that the current Programme for Government commits to providing, over...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 728 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department currently provides an extensive range of supports for pupils with hearing impairment. While the specific information requested by the Deputy in relation to pupil numbers is not available, I can confirm that there are currently 10 special classes for pupils with hearing impairment attached to...