Results 2,981-3,000 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the vast majority of support for childcare, including pre-school education, is not provided by my Department, but is now provided by the Office of the Minister for Children under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 which is the successor programme to the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school building. My Department will be in contact with the school authority when an assessment of the application has been completed.

Written Answers — Icelandic Investments: Icelandic Investments (16 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has no such investments and is not aware of any such investments held by bodies under its aegis.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 586 together. The Modernisation and Policy Unit of my Department has no record of an application for emergency funding from the school in question. Should an application be received it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Expenditure incurred by my Department is not recorded on a county by county basis and would take a disproportionate amount of official time to collate in that format. However, the Table below outlines Total Capital Expenditure from my Department's Vote for the years in question: Year €m 1997 164.2 1998 356.0 1999 362.2 2000 421.7 2001 564.0 2002 574.3 2003 406.0 2004 453.7 2005...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Data as requested by the Deputy is set out in the table in respect of the school years 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), 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...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the terms of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management of a primary school is responsible for the recruitment, selection and appointment of all teachers to a school. Appointments are notified to my Department by the Board of Management. My Department has no role in the selection and appointment process. There are currently 518 unqualified teachers in primary schools. Boards of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Oct 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 (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my intention to make an announcement in the first quarter of 2009 on major primary and post-primary school projects to proceed to construction. The progression of the project referred to by the Deputy will be considered at that time.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An extension and refurbishment project for 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...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 565 and 570 together. The halls referred to by the Deputies were built as part of a programme to develop community sports halls in drugs task force areas in Dublin and Cork. The stated objective of the programme was that each hall would be dual use in nature in that they would be accessible to the wider community as well as to the local school population....

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I take it that the Deputy is referring to Gaeilscoil Eiscir Riada in Lucan. 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...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware the Programme for Government commits my Department to establishing a Developing Areas Unit to identify where new schools are needed and to ensure that these schools are delivered in the fastest possible timeframe. The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in any given area entails consideration...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 569 together. I understand that my officials have confirmed with the Deputy's office that the service in question is located in a residential facility. My Department does not fund the service and the Deputy may wish to make contact with the Health Service Executive and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding the matter.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions: (a) The Higher Education Grants Scheme (b) The Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme (c) The Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is administered by...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (21 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: All aspects of property procurement and disposal in connection with the Decentralisation Programme is a matter for the Office of Public Works. The non-capital costs incurred by my Department to date under the Decentralisation Programme are as follows: 2005 Nil 2006 Nil 2007 Nil 2008 €191,945 non-property expenditure. (This figure includes expenditure on the fitting out of the new building...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has completed the process of decentralising all sections due to relocate to Athlone and to date, 88 posts have decentralised from my Department to Athlone. The main relocation of posts from Dublin to Mullingar will take place when the new office accommodation in Mullingar is ready for occupation. However in June 2008, my Department utilised existing available accommodation, in...