Results 3,901-3,920 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. 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...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Dec 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 — Third Level Examinations: Third Level Examinations (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) does not collect information on the numbers of first year students failing their year-end exams. While it is not possible therefore to provide an overall figure on failure rates, certain information is available on overall numbers progressing from first year to second year in the university sector by comparing the cohort sizes across successive academic...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 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. Prudent management of the Government finances is...
- Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Officials from my Department met with officials from South Dublin County Council and representatives from the school referred to by the Deputy on 11 November 2008. The meeting sought to address the funding issues referred to by the Deputy and I can confirm that progress was made. Discussions on the funding of the sports complex are ongoing between the parties involved.
- Written Answers — Further Education Sector: Further Education Sector (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Teaching Council has submitted draft regulations for registration to my Department, and these deal with all the relevant sectors including the one referred to by the Deputy. These regulations are currently under review by the relevant sections within my Department.
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics. Specifically In relation to...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has not received an application for car parking and drop-off facilities at this school. Should an application be received for funding for such works, it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Dec 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Dec 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 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 — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 to 261, inclusive, and 263 to 272, inclusive, together. I have consistently said that 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...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I previously advised the Deputy on the Government's commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. This facilitates access to individualised education programmes, fully qualified professional...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 provides a statutory framework for the education of children with special educational needs. As the Deputy will be aware, a significant number of sections of the EPSEN Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building 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 light of...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has been engaged with the school's Patron and his advisers in relation to this project. I am advised that an issue has arisen regarding the ownership of the site for the new school in question and my Department is currently awaiting confirmation that there is good and marketable title to the property.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme....
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is open to the Board of Management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule which issues annually to all Boards of Management and is also made available on my...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In June 2008, the school to which the Deputy refers was approved for a grant of â¬33,603 under the parent room measure of the Dormant Accounts/ RAPID Leverage Fund Scheme for Disadvantaged Schools. The contractor referred to by the Deputy was contracted by the board of management of the school to refurbish an existing room in the school for use as a parent room. Under the scheme, where a...
- Written Answers — Site Disposals: Site Disposals (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received correspondence from the Diocesan Solicitors in relation to the partial surrender of a portion the school referred to by the Deputy. Officials of my Department have recently written to the patron of the school in question. A response is awaited. My officials will revert to the Solicitors in due course.