Results 4,541-4,560 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The second Schools PPP bundle, which consists of six schools including the school referred to by the Deputy, was handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) in May 2008. The NDFA advertised the bundle in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEC) on 20th May 2008. This tender competition is being procured using the competitive dialogue procedure as provided for...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers have applied for a new School Building. 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 current competing demands on the capital budget...
- Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The following tables provide the information requested by the Deputy on statistics regarding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests received by my Department in the years 2007 and 2008. All FOI requests received by my Department are processed in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1997, as amended in 2003, and are either granted or refused on that basis. Over...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: As I indicated to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question 666 on 8 July 2008, the commitment to ensuring early intervention for preschool children with special educational needs is being addressed in the context of the implementation of the EPSEN Act 2004 and Disability Act 2005. In the light of the current financial circumstances, it is not possible to proceed with the full...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that earlier today I announced 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction. The project to which the Deputy refers was not included in this announcement therefore, it is unlikely that this project will be progressed to construction in 2009. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the school to which the Deputy refers,...
- Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that applications have been received from three higher education institutions for designation as Universities; Waterford Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. The issue of university designation does not just affect the institutions and the regions from which applications have been received; it will also have a major...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: A project for a new 12-classroom generic repeat design building for the school to which the Deputy refers is at the early stage of architectural planning. In this regard, a revised stage 2a submission (developed sketch scheme) is being examined in my Department. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage to construction phase,...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Information on the band rating of the ten major school building projects I announced in January for retender and construction is contained in the table that follows this reply. The projects will create almost 2,500 new school places at primary and post-primary levels. The projects, all of which were previously tendered, are to be offered to the market again to get better value for money....
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a refurbishment project for the school to which he refers is included among the list of major school building projects which I announced today to go to tender and construction this year. My officials will shortly be contacting each school on the list about the next steps they should take to progress their projects.
- Written Answers — Commercial Product Testing: Commercial Product Testing (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and is therefore responsible for making decisions as to the types of activities in which the school gets involved. So the decision as to whether to accept sponsorship, partake in promotions or engage with research is one for the Board...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Details held by this Department of the schools in Co. Clare renting prefabricated units are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 26 schools renting a total of 70 prefab units. The average annual rental cost per prefab unit in Co. Clare is â¬11,210. As the Deputy will appreciate the cost per unit will vary depending on the...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Feb 2009)
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...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department holds data on temporary accommodation on a county basis rather than a constituency basis. Details held by this Department of the schools in Dublin City and County renting prefabricated units are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 103 schools renting a total of 279 prefab units. The average annual rental cost...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 481 together. 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 to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has approved the Stage 1 submission (i.e. Site Suitability, Site Report and Initial Sketch Scheme) for the school to which the Deputy refers and gave authorisation to progress to the next stage of architectural planning, which is Stage 2A (Developed Sketch Scheme). The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to tender and...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department holds data on temporary accommodation on a county basis rather than a constituency basis. Details held by this Department of the schools in Cork City and County renting prefabricated units are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 116 schools renting a total of 282 prefab units. The average annual rental cost...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 483, 485 and 504 together. The school to which the Deputies refer has applied to my Department for an extension project. As the Deputies will be aware, last week, I announced details of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction and 25 high priority projects to commence architectural planning. The project to which the Deputies refer...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the proposed Centre of Excellence for Visually Impaired at St. Joseph's School, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The Deputy may be aware that a decision was taken in 2003 that the Centre as originally proposed should not proceed having regard to the low and declining pupil numbers in the school for the visually impaired and the development costs involved,...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Details held by this Department of the schools in Co Leitrim renting prefabricated units are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 3 schools renting a total of 9 prefab units. The average annual rental cost per prefab unit in Co Leitrim is â¬17,967. As the Deputy will appreciate the cost per unit will vary depending on the...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the schools in Co. Sligo renting temporary accommodation are given in the following tabular statement. The average annual rental cost per unit in 2007 was â¬10,815. From the information provided the Deputy will see that there were a total of 25 prefabricated units rented in 2007 by 11 schools. As the Deputy will appreciate the cost per unit will vary depending on the size, type...