Results 5,281-5,300 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Schools Building Projects. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A letter of intent issued to the main contractor on 9 April 2009, requesting sight of certain important documents and confirmation of a number of other issues. Once all the documentation requested has been received and meets my Department's requirements, a formal letter of acceptance will issue to the Contractor. It is estimated that it will take 12 to 15 months to complete the project,...

School Accommodation. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I assume the Deputy is referring to an application from the school in question for the provision of additional accommodation under the Permanent accommodation Scheme. As part of the expansion of that scheme a grant was sanctioned in 2007 to enable the school authority to build one permanent classroom. An application by the school for further additional funding was received by my Department in...

Departmental Bodies. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy is referring to the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). The new organisation will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities, a function which is currently performed by the Irish...

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: From September 2009, an additional 1,500 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places will be made available nationwide. This will bring the total number of approved PLC places to 31,688. The PLC programme provides successful participants with specific vocational skills to enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment, or progression to other studies. The allocation of these...

School Accommodation. (22 Apr 2009)

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

Special Educational Needs. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The criteria for allocating resource teaching support for pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Down Syndrome, did not change as part of the recent budget announcements. Primary school pupils with high incidence special educational needs may receive additional teaching support under the terms of the General Allocation System. One of the benefits of the General...

Written Answers — Nursing Education: Nursing Education (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2008 the Department of Health and Children announced a reduction in nursing education requirements, based on demand projections and financial considerations. As a result the number of places on the undergraduate nursing degree programmes was reduced by 310 places, from a total of 1,880 to 1,570. The reduction affected all 13 higher education institutions across the country which provide...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Students who are entering approved courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level for the first time are eligible for maintenance grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions of the relevant scheme including those relating to age, residence, means and nationality. The Grants Schemes contain a 'change in circumstances' clause which provides that a candidate's eligibility may be assessed...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Student Support Bill will provide the Minister with the power to regulate for different classes of applicants. This power would enable me, if there are compelling reasons and adequate resources to do so, to consider extending the circumstances where a student could be assessed without reference to parental income. My Department is currently reviewing the circumstances where a means...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The School Planning and Building Unit of my Department has not been made aware of any proposal to locate a community preschool in the school to which the Deputy refers. In February last, I announced the school in question to enter into architectural design for the construction of a new 16 classroom school on a site to be purchased by the school's Patron. My Department is considering the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: According to my Department's records there are currently 62 prefabricated buildings being rented by schools in Limerick City and County at a cost of €673,405. A single prefabricated unit can often be made up of more than one classroom and include some ancillary accommodation. Following an analysis of costs by my Department, it is now the policy to purchase rather than rent temporary...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the proposed project for the school to which he refers involves the acquisition of a site. 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 multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is among a number of schools that were judged by an independent identification process in 2005 not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage among their pupils to warrant their inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. A review mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to primary and post primary education is provided for students without requiring information on their parents' tax status and I would not favour putting a procedure in place that required schools to assess the tax status of parents enrolling students in their schools. Access to free undergraduate third level education is available to students who meet certain EU residency criteria....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to assure the Deputy 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 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I would like to reassure the Deputy 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 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 662, 665, 666, 670 and 717 together. The school to which the Deputies refer has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extensive sports hall refurbishment and the replacement of temporary accommodation. The project has been assigned a Band 2.4 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. As the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Apr 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 (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 715 together. The position is as outlined to the Deputy on 19 February 2009. When a decision has been taken on the construction model, the school will be advised of the next steps to be taken.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The family referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied were in receipt of a remote area transport grant up to the end of the 2006/07 school year. These grants are paid in respect of eligible pupils where a school transport service is not available. In March 2006, the family was advised by my Department that the transport grant would cease as a service was established to cater for...