Results 4,741-4,760 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department has been very aware of the issues raised in relation to the adjustments to pay due to certain part-time teachers under the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act, 2001 and has worked closely with the school management bodies and teacher unions to ensure that the legislation is implemented and applied to teachers in a fair and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Almost €4.5bn has been allocated to the school building programme under the current National Development Plan (2007-2013). Value for money is a key criterion in the implementation of the school building programme and competitive tendering, in line with public procurement procedures, ensures that this is achieved. As I have indicated publicly, the current decline in activity in the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Forward Planning Section of my Department is continuing the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary levels for 2009 and onwards. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and capacity of existing schools to...

Written Answers — Public Service Pension Levy: Public Service Pension Levy (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The public service pensions-related deduction applies to public servants working in public service bodies who contribute to a pension scheme, or who receive a payment in lieu of such a contribution. Those secretaries and caretakers who are members of a public service contributory pension scheme will be affected by the measure. However, employees who do not contribute to a pension scheme...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to higher education for people with disabilities has increased in recent years. It is estimated that 4.2% of all new entrants to higher education have one or more disabilities [1]. While the majority of applicants to higher education with a disability receive an offer for entry to higher education through the normal CAO route and do not require any points concessions, it is important...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Táim tar éis moladh na Comhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta a fháil maidir le himpleachtaí an chinnidh na marcanna don bhéaltriail i nGaeilge insna scrúduithe teastais a mhéadú go dtí 40% do na hiontrálaithe nua uile a thosaigh a gcuid iarbhunscolaíochta i 2007. Ag leibhéal an Teastais Shóisearaigh, níl athruithe sa siollabas molta os rud é go gcuireann an clár...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The schools referred to by the Deputy make up the first bundle of schools to be procured under my Department's current Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programme. Macquarie Partnership for Ireland (MPFI) has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the provision of this Bundle. The National Development Finance Agency, who are responsible for the procurement phase, has almost finalised all...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations, making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination and issuing the results of examinations. In view of this, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the State Examinations Commission for direct...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware the curriculum in schools is devised on the basis that ICT is not a subject but rather a tool to be integrated into the teaching and learning of all subjects. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has developed an ICT framework which sets out a structured approach to ICT in curriculum and assessment. The Framework sets out the types of learning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The savings accruing from the projects that are being re-tendered under the new form of contracts for public capital projects to get better value for money will be used to fund other projects. As the Deputy will be aware, I have made a number of announcements in recent months regarding major projects to proceed to tender and ultimately construction. These announcements included 25 major...

Written Answers — Public Service Pension Levy: Public Service Pension Levy (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is estimated that net expenditure on the Education & Science Vote will be reduced by €331m as a result of the introduction of the Pension Levy on 1 March, 2009.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. Following a survey of over 900 schools across the country my Department has set up a database giving details regarding their use of prefabricated accommodation. The information gathered does not specify whether the accommodation in individual schools is entirely made up of temporary buildings. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The OECD PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2006 survey of 15 years olds across 40 countries showed that Ireland's mean score in mathematics was not significantly different from the OECD average. We ranked 16th of 30 OECD countries and 22nd of 57 countries. There were fewer lower achievers and higher achievers than the OECD average, with the majority of pupils scoring in...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Clustering arrangements exist within the primary system for the sharing, in certain instances, of specific resources such as resource teaching posts and also rural coordinator support. While there are currently no formal arrangements for the sharing of general resources or facilities it is open to schools to enter into local arrangements themselves e.g. in relation to pooling of existing...

Written Answers — International Education Programmes: International Education Programmes (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials from my Department are engaged in discussions with the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) to put in place arrangements for the Authority to assume responsibility in this area. It is intended that maintenance of the Internationalisation Register, a function currently undertaken by my Department, will be handed over before the end of 2009. In doing this, the NQAI...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy refers to the new regime for admission to medicine in the universities which came into operation this year. To be eligible to study medicine one must now attain a minimum of 480 points in the Leaving Certificate and sit a special admissions test. A combination of the Leaving Certificate CAO points and the marks in the admission test determine one's placing in the competition....

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 60 and 61 together. The issue of the re-introduction of third level fees, to which the Deputies refer, should be viewed in the context of the wider funding of higher education. The Government is investing unprecedented levels of public funding in higher education. In 2009 some €2 billion is being invested in our third level sector. In contributing to the...

Written Answers — Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile: Scéimeanna Tógála Scoile (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Cuireann mo Roinn i bhfeidhm critéir foilsithe tosaíochta do leithdháileadh maoinithe caipitil chun freastal ar na héilimh iomadúla éagsúla ar a buiséad caipitil. Cuirtear ar aghaidh tionscadail caipitil do na scoileanna uile, Gaelscoileanna san áireamh, de réir na gcritéar tosaíochta seo. Tá infheistíocht shuntasach déanta i bhfoirgnimh nua agus agus i dtionscadail sínte ar...

Written Answers — Transition Year Programme: Transition Year Programme (26 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Every year my Department invites all second level schools to participate in the Transition Year Programme. Circular 0064/2008 invited applications from schools for the 2008/2009 school year. Transition Year is optional for each school and a minority of schools do not offer Transition Year at all. In others it may be available as an optional programme for some pupils. Some schools, in...