Results 5,561-5,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (12 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have indicated my intention to commence Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act in the near future. I have also indicated that the commencement of the section will provide for it to be regulated that a school may employ unregistered personnel on a time limited basis in exceptional circumstances. I believe that the above proposed legislative arrangement reflects the situation facing schools...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (12 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together. With regard to the majority of agencies under the aegis of my Department excluding the Vocational Education Committees the guidelines that issued make clear that the moratorium provides that with effect from that date, no public service post, however arising, may be filled by recruitment, promotion, nor payment of an allowance for the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have received correspondence on this issue, and I am prepared to meet a deputation of relevant interests to discuss the matter. Officials of my Department will be in touch with the correspondents to arrange a meeting as soon as possible, probably in late May or early June. Dance is included in the strands in the Physical Education curriculum in primary and post primary schools. In...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will forward to the Deputy the information that is available to my Department in relation to the issues he has raised.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 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 (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for co-ordinating special needs education provision at local and national level and arranging for the delivery of special education services. I understand that the school referred to by the Deputy has been in contact with my Department...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project at the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. My Department recently approved the Revised Stage 2(a) submission subject to certain comments being fully addressed. 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for a building project. I met with a deputation from the school in December when they outlined proposals to overcome the difficulties which had arisen in obtaining planning permission for the extension and refurbishment of the existing school. My Department will consider how best to address...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are no plans to offer a driver education course in Transition Year. However, a Road Safety programme for Transition Year has been developed by the Road Safety Authority in collaboration with my Department, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the Second level Support Service and has been offered nationally as an option since September 2008, following a successful pilot...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the general allocation model was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special educational needs including children with mild general learning disabilities. When the model commenced, a commitment was given to carry out a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The details supplied by the Deputy relate to the impact on a particular school in Dublin 7 of a number of the budget measures. 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...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the correspondence received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy. The school has submitted an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeal Board and this will be considered by the Board at its meeting on the 14th May 2009. The school will be advised of the outcome of the appeal shortly thereafter in the normal way. Details of the criteria under which appeals are...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (13 May 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...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In view of the current budgetary constraints I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with a definite date for the acquisition of a site for this school. The further consideration of the proposed site acquisition and any subsequent building project for the school will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual school building and modernisation programme.

Written Answers — National Disability Strategy: National Disability Strategy (13 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Disability Strategy supports and reinforces equal participation in society of people with disabilities. Its elements include - the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004, the Disability Act, 2005 and its associated Sectoral Plans published in 2006 by six Government Departments, the Citizens Information Act, 2007 and a commitment to a multi-annual...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Senior officials of my Department met with the patron in question in late 2007 to discuss statements he had made on the patronage of primary schools. At that meeting, the patron indicated that he had no specific locations in mind where one or more schools under his patronage might transfer to another patron but that it might arise at some point in the future. They discussed the different...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There may be a misunderstanding. As the Deputy is aware, I put in place a moratorium soon after taking office in respect of existing schools and the patronage of new schools.

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Yes, to new schools. As part of the moratorium, we stated that where new schools were required, the technical group working at my Department would proceed because the school population is growing. It was agreed that the group would contact all patrons. For 2009 we are able to accommodate all requirements by adding extensions to schools and so on. In 2010 and 2011 there will be a serious...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will understand there is difference between primary and second level in terms of patronage. I have sought legal advice to establish exactly which powers are available to me under the Education Acts.

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am not certain of that yet; we hope the legal information will be with us within a short period. However, there is a serious difference in terms of the scale of development. It is very easy to build a primary school, but for a second level school one must consider the scale of the development, the range of the curriculum and subject choice. A given second level school must have an...