Results 2,421-2,440 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA), following a selection process, has nominated City of Dublin VEC to take responsibility for the development and implementation of the new information technology system for the sector as a whole. The Department is currently considering the accountability and governance issues that will need to be addressed in that context and assessing the...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, and my predecessor Minister Hanafin announced in March 2007 that a support and development initiative for the Irish language under the aegis of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta will be located at Coláiste Íosagáin and that four additional staff will be assigned to An Chomairle for this...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government commits my Department to establishing a Developing Areas Unit to liaise with local authorities, identify where new schools are needed and ensure that they are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe. In terms of its work programme for 2008, the Developing Areas Unit is advancing the delivery of projects in locations which have been...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 733 and 734 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department contacted approximately 900 schools in September 2007 who were renting temporary accommodation and asked them to complete a questionnaire regarding the stock of temporary accommodation in their schools. My Department is in the process of compiling this information. I will write to the Deputy in...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The development of a building project for the school referred to by the deputy is at an early stage. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. Applications for SNAs may be considered by the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Circular 044/2007, issued in July 2007, requires all schools to provide the minimum recommended tuition in English in Irish medium primary schools, beginning no later than the start of the second term in Junior Infants. The revised primary curriculum was launched in 1999 after extensive consultation with the partners in education. Page 27 in the Introduction to the Curriculum states "It is a...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 742 and 743 together. This issue relates to the impact of providing an immersion model of education in Irish medium schools under which no English is taught for a significant part of the infant cycle. There are a range of studies which highlight the effectiveness of immersion approaches to language learning. However, the precise models of immersion in use,...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's home tuition scheme provides a grant to parents to facilitate the provision of 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 with Special Educational Needs awaiting an educational placement and provide early education intervention for...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The 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 this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The development of a project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis 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 to...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: UCD Adult Education operates Outreach Centres in County Dublin and County Wicklow. Courses delivered cover a range of disciplines and interests. A significant element of UCD's outreach activity is the provision of the Access to Arts and Human Sciences programme, which is at foundation certificate level. The other course which was provided by UCD in Baldoyle in 2007-8 was a short course in...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: More than €2.6 billion was provided for school building infrastructure between 2000 and 2006 under the last National Development Plan and a further €4.5 billion is being invested under the current NDP 2007-2013. Close to €600m of this will be provided this year alone. In the period 2002 to date, 614 large-scale building projects at primary and post-primary schools were given approval...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has offices located in Tullamore, Co. Offaly. There are no offices of my Department located in Co. Laois. In most cases recruitment to vacancies arising in clerical posts in the Tullamore office is done by reference to the agreed sequence of appointment, ie Department of Agriculture Surplus, Central Transfer List or Public Appointments Service panel for the location. There is a...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Teaching Council has had responsibility for registering teachers since its establishment on 28 March, 2006. My Department does not have any involvement in this process. When an applicant for registration applies to the Teaching Council with a qualification other than those automatically recognised by the Council (previously by the Department of Education and Science), their qualifications...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (10 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the establishment of the current Government, I, and the Ministers of State at my Department, have undertaken the following travel on official business. In May, I made one journey by air, using the Ministerial Air Transport Service. No direct costs were incurred by my Department for use of that service, which is provided by the Department of Defence and the Air Corps. No journeys on...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details supplied...