Results 4,561-4,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details held by this Department of the schools in Co Roscommon renting prefabricated units are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 13 schools renting a total of 20 prefab units. The average annual rental cost per prefab unit in Co Roscommon is €8,276. As the Deputy will appreciate the cost per unit will vary depending on the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. As the Deputy 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 Deputy refers was not included in this announcement....

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The person in question is in receipt of a pension from my Department under the National School Teachers Spouses' and Children's Pension Scheme, as the spouse of a deceased teacher. Pension is not payable in respect of the person's granddaughter notwithstanding that the person is the child's guardian. Eligibility for children's pension under the scheme of which the deceased was a member is...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the schools in Waterford renting temporary accommodation are given in the following tabular statement. As the Deputy will see from the details provided, there are 19 schools renting a total of 96 prefab units. The average annual rental cost per prefab unit in Waterford is €12,960. As the Deputy will appreciate the cost per unit will vary depending on the size, type and age of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the modernisation agenda for teachers under the Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016 it was agreed to address the issue of redeployment of surplus teachers. Discussions on the arrangements that would apply in the case of second level schools commenced under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council in March 2007. It was initially agreed that the discussions would take...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Draft legislation to put in place a legal framework which will facilitate the involvement of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) in the provision of primary education is currently in preparation in my Department. No order has been made under Section 10 of the Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001. Having considered the matter it has been decided that it is proper that the role 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 per...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy follows:

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

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 multiannual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position regarding the ICT Advisory Service operating from the regional Education Centres is that following the Value for Money Review of the ICT Support Service for Schools undertaken by my Department, the ICT Advisor posts have not been renewed. Accordingly, there is no ICT Advisor post attached to Mayo Education Centre. This decision reflects the view that each school must plan and...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department recently wrote to City of Galway VEC instructing them to proceed with negotiations regarding the acquisition of a site for the school in question. I am advised that the VEC are progressing the matter.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The School to which the Deputy refers applied for a large scale extension project. The long term accommodation needs of the school have been determined as an 8 classroom school. 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 multiannual School Building...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, it is my Department's intention to provide the school in question with a new building. In this regard, agreement has been reached to provide the new building on a V.E.C. owned site. As the Deputy will also 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Office of Public Works (OPW) which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally had been requested to source a greenfield site for the school to which the Deputy refers. On foot of advertising, no proposals were received for a greenfield site in the area concerned. The OPW was then requested by my Department to look into the possibility of building a...

Written Answers — Smarter Travel Policy: Smarter Travel Policy (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is aware of, and supports, the Government's Smarter Travel Policy, launched by the Minister for Transport on 5 February, which recognises the valuable role that workplace travel planning can play in making commuting travel patterns more sustainable. The Deputy may be interested to know that my Department operates a Travel Pass Scheme which greatly enhances the benefits to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Feb 2009)

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 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2009)

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 — Clár Tógála Scoileanna: Clár Tógála Scoileanna (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Mar is eol, gan dabht, don Teachta, tá sé ar intinn ag mo Roinnse foirgneamh nua a chur ar fáil don scoil atá i gceist. I dtaca leis seo, táthar tar éis teacht ar chomhaontú go soláthrófar an foirgneamh nua ar shuíomh a bhaineann leis an CGO. Mar is eol chomh maith don Teachta, gan dabht, d'fhógair mé sonraí an tseachtain seo caite faoi 43 thionscadail mhóra caipitil a bheidh...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the schools in Co. Louth renting temporary accommodation are given in the attached tabular statement. The average annual rental cost per unit is €13,160. From the information provided the Deputy will see that there were a total of 77 prefabricated units rented by 31 schools. The Deputy will be aware that demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early 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 current...