Results 3,441-3,460 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As announced in the Budget on 14 October 2008, decentralisation projects for the following agencies under the aegis of my Department have been deferred pending a review in 2011: Higher Education Authority (HEA) 64 posts for Athlone; National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) 18 posts for Edenderry; Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) 34 posts for Edenderry; Further...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Nov 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. The new building in Athlone accommodates both decentralised staff plus approximately 100 Department of Education and Science personnel who had been in temporary accommodation on the Athlone campus. The floor area...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: To date, some 191 staff have transferred in under the Central Applications Facility (CAF) or have been appointed to this Department with a commitment to decentralise. The majority of these officers were/are initially assigned to posts in Dublin with a small number assigned directly to backfill vacancies due to decentralisation, arising in my Department's offices in Athlone, Tullamore or...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is planned to decentralise the headquarters of the Department currently based in Marlborough Street to Mullingar when new permanent accommodation is ready for occupation. The floor area of the proposed new office in Mullingar, as per the planning application, is 9,068 square metres. Following the Government's review of the decentralisation programme, a number of agencies under the aegis...

Written Answers — National Disability Strategy: National Disability Strategy (5 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It has not been possible to fully collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will respond directly to him as soon as the information has been collated by my Department.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. There are currently 5.5 officers working in my Constituency Office. The grades of these are as follows: 1 Higher Executive Officer — located in my Department 1 Staff Officer (working on a half time basis) — located in my Department 2 Clerical Officers — located in my Department 1 Personal Assistant (Higher Executive Officer level)...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared, and I acknowledge the impact of funding restrictions...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared, and I acknowledge the impact of funding restrictions in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together. The 2009 budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect, education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared....

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 256, inclusive, together. My Department has received correspondence in relation to the school in question from solicitors acting on behalf of a committee, as distinct from the Trustees of the school, to establish a playschool on the existing premises. This correspondence is currently under active consideration by officials in my Department. My...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department makes a specific allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance to schools in the second level system. This allocation is based on the pupil enrolment in September of the preceding school year. As a result of the decision to allocate an additional 100 posts to guidance from September 2005 an enhanced guidance allocation provision has been put in place from the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that a suitable site has been identified for the school referred to. It was originally intended that my Department would acquire the lands directly and negotiations were progressing on that basis. The school's Patron indicated that he was willing, in principle, to acquire the lands in order to advance the project subject to the Patron receiving a guarantee in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have approved an emergency works grant for this school to enable the works referred to by the Deputy to be carried out as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is in the early stages 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.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The issue of the re-introduction of third level fees, to which the Deputy refers, should be viewed in the context of the wider funding of higher education. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is investing unprecedented levels of public funding in higher education. In 2008 some €2 billion is being invested in our third level sector. In contributing to the achievement of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect the education sector, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. Vote 26: Education & Science was increased by...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 primary schools each year. The detailed staffing allocation for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The budget measures will mean that the level of language support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007. However, the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers involves the acquisition of additional land. The progression of the project, from site acquisition and 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 the capital budget of the Department, it...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are 56 fee-paying schools in the State, of which 21 are Protestant, two inter-denominational, one Jewish and the remainder Catholic. With the exception of the Protestant and Jewish fee-charging schools, fee-paying schools do not receive capitation or related supports. Protestant fee-charging schools receive, and will continue to receive, the Protestant Block grant, which amounts to...