Results 2,641-2,660 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The total number of primary teachers is over 30,000 and this includes in the region of 520 untrained teachers. This figure may include some new teachers who are awaiting recognition of their existing qualifications by the Teaching Council which, when received, will enable their re-classification on the payroll to qualified teachers. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Decisions on the award of points and admission criteria for entry to higher education programmes are a matter for the higher education institutions. The universities have formally communicated their collective view that the introduction of bonus points is not likely to achieve the national objective of greater participation in science engineering and technology programmes, and have advocated...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the context of the recent social partnership discussions the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Social Partners and relevant agencies to actively encourage and support those at work, who have not previously pursued a third level qualification up to level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications, to take up part-time courses in publicly funded third level...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student maintenance grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority, either the local authority or VEC, as appropriate. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department, except in exceptional circumstances. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant, or that the rate of maintenance...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to provide a new permanent school building for the school referred to by the Deputy has been sanctioned to commence architectural planning and has started the process of appointing a design team. The progress on major capital projects such as this new school building will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of the Department's Multi-Annual School Building and...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has not implemented any job or budget cuts in relation to the psychological services provided by the two Vocational Education Committees referred to by the Deputy. Both City of Dublin and County Dublin VEC have confirmed to my officials that there has been no diminution of the psychological services provided by them.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for works under the 2008 Summer Works Scheme. 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...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is putting arrangements in place so that part-time primary teachers will be paid through the payroll operated by my Department rather than the current grant payment system operated by School Boards of Management. A circular has recently issued to all primary schools advising them of the proposed changes and seeking the relevant service history information on individual...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. 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 Modernisation Programme. However, in light of...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 589 together. As the Deputy may be aware, the Department intends to acquire sites in the Dublin 15 area for the purposes of providing additional school places. My Department is aware of a need for further post primary provision in the Dublin 15 area. Due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of the current Budgetary process, a number of agency rationalisation measures are under consideration by the Government. As these are budgetary matters, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the status of any specific proposal relating to any agency or institute or to comment on whether any specific agency or institute is the subject...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department operates an annual Employee Recognition Awards Scheme and a Merit Awards Committee examine and make recommendations on all applications. I attach a table containing the information requested by the Deputy. Year Number of individual awards Number of group awards Total number of awards Proportion of staff 2005 38 145 183 14% 2006 33 134 167 13% 2007 48 128 176 13% In each of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that at this stage my Department has completed the process of decentralising all sections due to relocate to Athlone, with some 88 posts now relocated. Under the Government's decentralisation programme, 300 posts from my Department's headquarters are scheduled to decentralise to Mullingar. A site has been acquired for my Department's new headquarters in Mullingar...

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department does not have the authority to use compulsory purchase orders in relation to matters arising from site acquisitions for school building purposes. This also applies to the VECs and Higher Education Institutions.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy, indicated that there were 622 pupils enrolled in the school on 30 September 2007. In accordance with the staffing schedule, this entitles the school to a Principal and 23 mainstream class teachers for the 2008/2009 school year. The school also has 3 special classes for deaf children. The...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school in question was allocated funding by way of an all-in grant to a maximum of €100,000 to provide a temporary classroom. The sanction included, as standard, an option for the Board of Management of the school to use the all-in grant of up to €100,000 towards the cost of constructing a permanent classroom if it so wished. This innovation was introduced in July of this year to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Late last week my Department received a letter from the board of management of the school to which the Deputy refers enclosing a report from their insurers. This report is currently being examined by officials in my Department who will be in contact with the school authorities in this regard.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 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 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Sep 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. All applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. Under the criteria, each project is assigned a Band Rating which reflects the type of works required and the urgency...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (30 Sep 2008)

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 obtaining a...