Results 3,721-3,740 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (27 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...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Government's continued prioritisation of education over the last 11 years is evidenced from our investment in 2009 of €9.6 billion — over treble what it was in 1997. The increase of €302m in the Education budget for 2009 is a real achievement in the current economic climate. Education is one of only three Government Departments to have increased funding in 2009. The commitment...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department and it takes account of the supply of, and demand for primary teachers. The number of places on the Bachelor of Education and Post Graduate courses are detailed in the following table. The intake into the Colleges of Education in future years will continue to be kept under review by my Department...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have already met with a deputation from one of the schools he refers to. I do not have any plans to visit Kerry at the moment.

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, it is the duty of the Board of Management to manage a school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and their parents. As part of its functions, the board has a duty to publish the school's policy on the expulsion and suspension of students. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have in place a...

Written Answers — School Equipment: School Equipment (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A devolved minor works grant is paid to all fully recognised primary schools annually. Primary school authorities may use their minor works grant to deal with the type of issue raised by the Deputy. Individual primary schools receive a grant of €5,500 plus €18.50 per pupil. My Department intends to pay the next round of minor works grant early in 2009.

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 developing areas, while showing the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school authority referred to by the Deputy applied for an additional classroom in June 2008 to cater for a projected increase in enrolment. The enrolment on 30 September 2007 was 31 pupils and the school currently has a staffing of principal plus one mainstream teacher. This application for an additional classroom was refused on the basis that no additional mainstream teacher was due to...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers commenced operation in September 2002 with provisional recognition from the Department on the basis that it would provide multidenominational education in the Clontarf, Marino and Fairview areas of Dublin. The location of the school in Glasnevin, which is served by two multidenominational schools, was intended to be a purely temporary measure. The...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers has a band 1.4 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. This reflects the fact that accommodation is needed to facilitate an amalgamation. The project, which involves the acquisition of land to extend the site, is in the early stages of architectural planning. It is included among over 360 other projects at...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Universities Act, 1997, confers autonomous statutory responsibilities on universities in relation to the day to day management of their affairs and it is a matter for each university to manage their financial resources. The Universities receive a recurrent block grant from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which is the statutory planning and development body for higher education and...

Written Answers — Whole School Evaluations: Whole School Evaluations (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Inspectorate is part of the Department of Education and Science, all costs associated with its work are paid from the administrative budget of the Department. Whole school evaluations and subject inspections form just part of the Inspectorate's business plan in any given year. In 2007, for example, the Inspectorate carried out 303 whole school evaluations, 758 subject inspections, 23...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including charging and collecting fees for examinations and applying such monies to the carrying out of its functions, and designate places where examinations may be held. In view of this, I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The School Development Planning Initiative (SDPI) is a support service established by my Department to assist and strengthen a culture of collaborative development planning in post primary schools, with a view to promoting school improvement and effectiveness and to further the process of whole school planning. The SDPI is based in Marino Institute of Education and has a team of one national...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2008 the Second Level Support Service has a budget of €4.092m. The budget covers the provision of support for a large number of curricular areas and programmes. In 2008-2009 the full range of subjects/programmes offered by SLSS are: English; Irish; Mathematics; History; Geography; Biology; Physics; Chemistry; Junior Science; Religious Education; Civil, Social and Political Education;...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can inform the Deputy that NEPS, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the...

Written Answers — Teacher Inspection: Teacher Inspection (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: While the teacher in question is in her second year of employment she did not register for probation last year. An application to register for probation from the teacher in question was received during Round 3 of the submissions process in this school year which closed on November 7th 2008. Inspectors are currently in the process of being assigned to teachers who registered for probation in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is examining the feasibility of grouping a number of schools including the school referred to by the Deputy in the 3rd Bundle of school projects to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This examination is nearing completion and it is my intention to make an announcement about the matter as quickly as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials in my Department have met on a regular basis with the relevant groups in relation to the commitment in the current programme for Government to long-term funding for the centres that are in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable them to be supported as primary schools for children with autism. I am pleased to advise that broad...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information available to my Department at this time relates to the 2007/8 school year. In that year the number of pupils enrolled in the Junior Certificate Schools Programme was 7,649 and 7,437 pupils were enrolled in the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.