Results 3,541-3,560 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (13 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I have appointed the following staff since I was appointed Minister for Education and Science: Ms. Deirdre McDonnell, Special Adviser â located in my Department (Salary Scale: â¬90,702 â â¬113,141); Mr. Bernard Mallee, Special Adviser (with responsibility for press and communications) â located in my Department (Salary Scale: â¬86,168 ââ¬107,485); Ms. Katherine Woods, Personal...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school 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...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 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 — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (13 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that applications have been received from 3 Institutes of Technology for designation as Universities. These applications raise significant issues regarding Government policy towards higher education, in particular the existing roles of the Universities and Institutes of Technology which have distinctive missions from each other, provide different levels and types of academic...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Nov 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 (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. While the total number of...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Nov 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 Funding: Schools Funding (13 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: An allocation of â¬15.9m has been provided in the 2009 Budget for Subhead B17 Miscellaneous. This subhead provides for a range of miscellaneous services which include costs relating to: The School Development Programme, Early Literacy Programmes, Funding of the Braille Production Unit, The Partnership Programme, Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act, The funding of an Chomhairle um...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Nov 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,...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: A request for funding for the conference has been received and is being examined at present. My officials will be in contact with the centre in question.
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that the Mullingar element of the decentralisation of my Department's Headquarters, which involves approximately 300 posts, will take place when new permanent accommodation is ready for occupation. Full planning permission for this development was received in July 2008. In June 2008, my Department utilised existing available accommodation in its Regional Office...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently over 5,800 learning support/resource teachers supporting children with special education needs at primary level. In addition, there are over 1,200 teachers in special schools as well as the many hundreds of teachers in special classes for children with different disabilities. As the Deputy is aware, my Department implemented a general allocation system of learning...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Stage 2A submission for the school building project to which the Deputy refers has been returned to the Design Team Architect. Further technical information is needed to make the submission compliant with Departmental standards.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 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 public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared. The various impacts at school level were included in the...
- Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available on a county basis and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The number of full-time posts allocated to primary schools and whole-time equivalent posts allocated to post-primary schools in respect of teaching English language support is 1569 and 545 respectively. Additional supports are provided for children in primary schools who do not meet the qualifying criteria for the appointment of full-time teachers in the form of grant aids for the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The syllabus for the Leaving Certificate Technical Drawing was revised by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The name of the subject was changed to Design and Communications Graphics and the new subject was introduced in September 2007, into a number of selected Post-Primary schools, for examination for the first time by the State Exams Commission (SEC) in June 2009....
- Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Notwithstanding the increase of â¬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. These decisions included reductions on the aid for school books scheme which in the case of schools outside of the DEIS scheme will involve savings of approximately â¬7.5 million on current...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (18 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 public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared. The various impacts at school level were included in the...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (18 Nov 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that meetings have recently taken place between my officials and officials from Dublin City Council regarding the potential availability of a permanent site for the Gaelscoil in question. My officials have written to Dublin City Council with a suggested proposal on the issue.