Results 3,181-3,200 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Notwithstanding the increase of €302 million in the Education budget for 2009, which is a real achievement in the current economic climate, a number of tough and difficult decisions had to be taken. We are committed to investing in education but we have to invest at a level that is consistent with what we can afford and what is sustainable at the moment given economic circumstances. I am...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take questions 469 and 496 together. My Department has been aware of a need for further post primary provision in the Dublin 15 area and in that context, I sanctioned the establishment of a new post primary school for the area earlier this month. The new school will be called Luttrellstown Community College and the Patron is County Dublin VEC. My Department is working closely...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 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 — Departmental Fees: Departmental Fees (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Income from examination entry fees is estimated at €8.7m in 2008. It is estimated that fee increases of 8% across all examination entry fees will generate an additional €0.70m in 2009. It should be noted that, as a proportion of the State Examinations Commission's overall funding, income from fees has reduced in the past four years from 15.6 % to 13.7%. A circular will be issued to...

Written Answers — Departmental Fees: Departmental Fees (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The target is that the fees charged by FETAC and HETAC will generate an additional €1.26 million in 2009. The Department is consulting the awards councils and relevant stakeholders with a view to agreeing their 2009 schedules of fees for awards and other services. The amalgamation of HETAC, FETAC and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland will not have major implications in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Savings: Departmental Savings (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The projected saving in expenditure in 2009 arising from the suspension of substitution cover for absences on uncertified sick leave in primary and second level schools including Vocational Education Committees and the suspension of cover for official school business in all second level schools is twenty eight million euros. Substitution cover will continue to be provided for the other...

Written Answers — Departmental Savings: Departmental Savings (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department estimates a saving in 2009 of €10 million on foot of the suspension of the Early Retirement Scheme for teachers. This figure is the estimated net savings after making allowance for the probability that some teachers, who might have retired under the scheme, will avail of other existing retirement options in 2009. The full year cost in the 2007 financial year of benefits for...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Teachers and Special Needs Assistants were exempted from the general payroll cut across the public sector. Additional costs arise from the requirement to appoint additional teachers to cope with the increase in enrolments as well as to cover the cost of pay increases applicable from September 2008 under the national pay agreement.

Written Answers — Third Level Institutions: Third Level Institutions (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The organisation referred to by the Deputy is an independent body and so cannot be compelled to recognise any particular third-level course as being suitable for professional recognition, nor can any timescale for such recognition be imposed. The third level institution referred to by the Deputy has informed the HEA that the course in question is currently under review by the organisation...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for a new school building. Progress on this project 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 the Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 480 together. Under the terms of my Department's 2008 Maintenance Grant Schemes, when assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the means test provision of the scheme specifies that the students' means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be...

Written Answers — Foireann na Roinne: Foireann na Roinne (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá an Teachta Dála ag tagairt don suirbhé cuimsitheach den bhfoireann riaracháin agus gairmiúil a rinneadh i mo Roinn i rith 2004. Measúnacht leathan a bhí anseo den leibhéal seirbhíse trí Ghaeilge a bhi ar fáil san Roinn ag an am sin, den éileamh a bhí ar an tseirbhís sin i 2004, ar an inniúlacht a bhí ann seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge, ar an suim a bhí ag an...

Written Answers — Scoileanna Gaeilge: Scoileanna Gaeilge (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Mar is eol don Teachta, d'fhógair mé le déanaí athbhreithniú ar na gnásanna do bhunú bunscoileanna úra faoin gCoimisiún um Chóiríochta Scoile. Tá sé i gceist agam Meitheal Oibre Teicniúil a bhunú faoin gCoimisiún chun athbhreithniú iomlán a dhéanamh ar na critéir agus ar na gnásanna d'aitheantas bunscoileanna úra. Tosóidh an Meitheal Oibre seo ag obair insna seachtainí...

Written Answers — Riachtanais Ghaeilge: Riachtanais Ghaeilge (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá raon leathan céimeanna á dtógaint ag an Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta chun cur le hinniúlacht mhúinteoirí sa Ghaeilge. Ag leibhéal na réamhsheirbhíse, éilítear gnóthachtáil agus inniúlacht ar leith sa Ghaeilge ó iarrthóirí atá ag dul le bunmhúinteoireacht. Cuireann na soláthróirí oideachais réamhsheirbhíse do mhúinteoirí bunscoile cúrsaí léinn ar fáil a...

Written Answers — Múineadh na Gaeilge: Múineadh na Gaeilge (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá tionchar ag meascán d'fhachtóirí ar an dul chun cinn maidir le múineadh agus le foghlaim na Gaeilge, fachtóirí curaclaim, cultúrtha agus sóisialta san áireamh. Toisc tábhacht na Gaeilge d'fhéiniúlacht mhuintir na hÉireann agus na buntáistí oideachais a bhaineann leis an dátheangachas d'ár ndaoine óga, tá raon stráitéisí curtha ar bun ag an Roinn Oideachais agus...

Written Answers — Coláistí Oiliúna: Coláistí Oiliúna (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá réimse meicníochtaí ar bun ag an leibhéal réamhsheirbhíse chun tacú le hinniúlacht gach ábhar múinteora chun an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh i mbunscoileanna. Éilítear íosmhéid de Ghrád C i nGaeilge Ardleibhéil san Ardteistiméireacht i gcomhair iontrála ar oiliúint bunmhúinteora in Éirinn. Déanann iarratasóirí ar an gCúrsa Dioplóma Iarchéimí san Oideachas scrúdú...

Written Answers — Coinníollacha Aitheantais: Coinníollacha Aitheantais (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Mar is eol don Teachta, d'fhógair mé le déanaí athbhreithniú ar na gnásanna do bhunú bunscoileanna úra faoin gCoimisiún um Chóiríochta Scoile. Tá sé i gceist agam Meitheal Oibre Teicniúil a bhunú faoin gCoimisiún chun athbhreithniú iomlán a dhéanamh ar na critéir agus ar na gnásanna d'aitheantas bunscoileanna úra. Tosóidh an Meitheal Oibre seo ag obair insna seachtainí...

Written Answers — Scoileanna Gaeilge: Scoileanna Gaeilge (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá an Rannóg Pleanála Chun Cinn de chuid mo Roinne faoi láthair gafa leis na ceantair a mbeidh cóiríocht bhreise scoile ag teastáil go suntasach iontu ag an mbunleibhéal agus ag an iarbhunleibhéal a shainaithint. I measc na bhfachtóirí atá á machnamh tá fás sa daonra, treochtaí deimeagrafacha, rolluithe reatha agus réamh mheasta, forbairtí tithíochta a tharla le déanaí...

Written Answers — Scoileanna Gaeilge: Scoileanna Gaeilge (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Faoi láthair, tá mé ag machnamh roinnt ar cheisteanna maidir le bunú scoileanna dara leibhéal. Machnófar na nithe atá ardaithe ag an Teachta sa chomhthéacs sin.

Written Answers — Coláistí Oiliúna: Coláistí Oiliúna (29 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: D'fhógair mo chomhghleacaí comhaireachta, an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta agus an tAire a chuaigh romham, an Teachta Hanafin, i Márta 2007, go bhfuil sé i gceist go mbeadh tionscnamh tacaíochta agus forbartha don Ghaeilge faoi choimirce na Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, suite i gColáiste Íosagáin agus go sannfaí ceathrar ball foirne...