Results 4,801-4,820 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Advertising Regulations: Advertising Regulations (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Private companies are free to promote their business in accordance with accepted marketing practices. There are also accepted marketing standards, such as compliance with advertising regulations which guide, inform and control the relationship between the vendor and the potential customers. My Department recognises the sensitivities attached to the issue of promotion initiatives linking...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. These special classes which are to close pre-date the 2005 General Allocation Model of allocating...

Written Answers — Ministerial Meetings: Ministerial Meetings (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: When I last had discussions with the group in question we agreed to have further meetings on a regular basis. A meeting is currently being arranged.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Following a survey of over 900 schools across the country, my Department has set up a database with details of their use of prefabricated accommodation. Information regarding rented prefabricated units supplied by schools as part of this exercise has been forwarded to the Deputy. Work is ongoing in my Department to update these records. The Deputy will be aware that demand for additional...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department at present. I will write to the Deputy regarding this matter in due course.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the Local Authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Mar 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. Applications for SNAs may be considered by the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Mar 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. Parents may also contact their...

Written Answers — Home Tuition: Home Tuition (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The home tuition scheme provides a grant to parents to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate home tuition as an interim measure for children awaiting an educational placement. I understand that an application for home tuition for the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. It is a matter for the school to employ teachers up to the limit of its...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority — i.e. the Local Authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for large scale capital funding from the school to which he refers, which has been assigned a Band 2 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of the Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level 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 — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy in being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as possible. As consultancy data is compiled in my Department on a quarterly basis, it will not be possible to provide details of consultancy firms engaged in early 2009 until data relating to the first quarter has been compiled. The relevant details in relation to the first quarter of 2009 will be...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: VECs employ and pay their own staff and, accordingly, my Department does not have available to it a breakdown of the numbers of staff in the categories requested by the Deputy. VECs recruit their own staff, within approved limits. The Deputy will be aware that all departments and state agencies must reduce their payroll bill in 2009 in line with the requirements set by the Government. In the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. These special classes which are to close predate the 2005 General Allocation Model of allocating...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is 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 in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that County Dublin VEC have agreed to dispose of the site to the Department under the terms of a 99 year lease. The Department is waiting the legal documents in relation to same from the VEC. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the progression of the project at this time.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no immediate plans to acquire the land in question. The acquisition of the site, if required, will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my Department's intention to increase capacity at the school to which the Deputy refers to 1,000 pupil places. 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...