Results 4,841-4,860 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (5 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has received an application for additional school accommodation from the school authority to which he refers. This application is currently under consideration and the school authorities will be notified of the outcome in due course.

Written Answers — Schools Buildings Projects: Schools Buildings Projects (5 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 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 current...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The funding information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table. There are currently 56 fee-charging second level schools in the country, of which 21 are Protestant, two inter-denominational, one Jewish and the remaining 32 Catholic. Fee-charging schools, with the exception of the Protestant and Jewish fee-charging schools for which special arrangements apply, do not receive...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 482 together. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the criteria for allocating additional teaching and/or special needs assistant support for children with autism have not changed. Furthermore the rate of capitation funding payable in respect of special classes for autism attached to both mainstream primary schools and special schools was...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My officials are in contact with the child's parent concerning an application for home tuition funding. A decision on the application will be made as speedily as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, my Department has received a major capital application from the school to which he refers. This project has a band rating of 2.1 under my Department's published prioritisation criteria for major capital projects. The building project is awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is actively engaged in trying to secure a site in the area referred to by the Deputy and has issued instructions to the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO) to this effect. The further progression of the acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally. In light of the many competing...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 to 489, inclusive, 538, 542 and 567 together. I wish to clarify for the Deputies that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of my Department's decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers to special classes for pupils with a mild...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available prior to 2008, however, I can state that my Department grant-aided the rental of prefabricated units for schools in the Dublin area at a cost of €6.54m in 2008. Details of these schools are given in the tabular statement. The information is not recorded in my Department on a Constituency basis. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Based on current demographic trends the Department of Education and Science anticipates that there will be a need for a further post-primary school in Lucan in the medium term and has been in contact with South Dublin County Council regarding a potential site for future educational provision in the area. Officials from the Department recently carried out a technical inspection of the various...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 493, 499, 515 and 575 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 most other areas of public...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the primary school curriculum Irish is a compulsory subject. Department Circular 12/96 applies to primary schools funded by my Department and sets out the conditions under which exemption from the study of Irish may be granted to primary pupils. In relation to one criteria, an exemption can be granted for pupils with a specific or general learning difficulty on foot of a report...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for capital funding 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has made preliminary enquires with the local authority in relation to its plans for the Dominick Street area of Dublin. As the local authority plans for the area have not, to date, advanced to any significant degree, the Department has not carried out a cost benefit analysis for the project in question. It is not, therefore, possible to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project 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 current competing demands on the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed extension and refurbishment project 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502, 503 and 519 together. The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning. The school's architect met with officials from my Department's Planning and Building Unit in January and submitted additional information relating to the current stage of the project in late February. My Department will...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position generally regarding the planning process for school building projects is that schools must comply with the requirements of the Local Government Planning and Development Acts. However there has been some recent changes to the legislation which has provided certain exemptions for temporary schools. (These are prescribed in Statutory Instrument 235 of 2008). Also in relation to...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 to 507, inclusive, together. My Department is at the forefront of design with respect to energy efficiency in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification and, recently, by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (10 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508, 539 and 547 together. The school to which the Deputies refer was included in my announcement on 12 February of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction during 2009. Officials from my Department will shortly be in contact with the school and its design team to invite them to attend a briefing session which will guide them on the...