Results 5,601-5,620 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Grangegorman Development Agency was established in May 2006. Since its establishment the agency has worked on the preparation of a strategic plan and budget for the proposed development of the Grangegorman site. The strategic plan is required in order to inform the Government of the options and the associated costs of moving the Dublin Institute of Technology campus to the Grangegorman...

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Yes, I will do that in the coming days.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Obviously, the rationalisation of the various entities of DIT is desirable. The Deputy might be interested to know that the most recent proposal outlines the overall cost to deliver all of the elements of DIT and HSE services on the Grangegorman site at €1.4 billion, so it is a sizeable bill.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The first tranche is to cost €610 million, which will be part funded from the sale of the DIT properties and from the HSE capital budget. A total of €195 million is being sought from the Department in capital funding. The second tranche is to be provided if and when required and the total cost of that second tranche is estimated at €848 million, the majority of which is to be...

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: We got the revised plan and estimates in March 2009 and they are with the Department at present. As the Deputy knows, a report will be made to Government arising from that. The Taoiseach will also visit the site. We want to be fully informed so the Cabinet can make an appropriate decision.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is fair to say we are considering all sources of funding. If the new infrastructural fund comes into being, we would look at that as being an area which could be used appropriately in regard to funding developments such as this.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will certainly visit the site to see the overall strategic plan and to be as informed as I can be in order to ensure whatever recommendations I make to Cabinet are based on full background information.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I do not want to be tied to a time limit. I will visit the site within the next couple of weeks and will then discuss the strategic plan with my officials and the costs involved. It is a good time to be involved in construction and it is the desire of Government to put strategic projects in place so that we can sustain and increase construction jobs. We will examine the feasibility of the...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 14, 19, 28, 32 and 34 together. As the Deputies will be aware, I am currently finalising a review of policy options relating to the introduction of a form of student contribution. There are many complex and competing considerations involved. These include considerations relating to institutional funding, family affordability, equity, participation and...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the matter of delaying the publication of the report until after the local elections, I have indicated clearly that it would be more appropriate and political for me to make the announcement beforehand, because that would allay all of the fears of those on middle incomes and let them know this would not affect them in any way.

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is to the advantage of the Opposition that I am not making the report available. With regard to Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question on bringing the report to the House, I have been charged by the Cabinet to make a report to it. My first report, therefore, will be to the Cabinet. It will then be a matter for Cabinet to adopt the proposals or otherwise. I will make the report available to the...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the question of those who enter third level in 2009, I said the opposite. I said there would be no change for anybody going into third level in 2009. The reason for that was they had applied to the CAO, understood exactly what they had to pay and what their commitments would be. However, I clearly indicated that if the Government takes a decision to introduce either loans or fees for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I had no plans to introduce a junior certificate version of either the leaving certificate vocational or applied programmes. The Leaving Certificate Applied, introduced in 1995, is a self-contained Leaving Certificate programme which is pre-vocational by nature and is designed for those students who do not wish to proceed directly to higher education or for those for whom the established...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the statement to which the Deputy refers was made at the Joint Committee by Sr. Eileen Randles from the Loreto Education Trust. As the record of that discussion shows Sr. Eileen was seeking to address what she termed "a simplistic sound bite" in the media about why taxpayers should pay for the salaries of teachers in fee charging second level schools. Sr. Eileen went...

Written Answers — School Patrons: School Patrons (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is currently considering a number of broad policy issues relating to the recognition process for second level schools. To facilitate full consideration of all of the issues involved, my Department has sought legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the system of patronage at second level. At this stage, the advice has not yet been received....

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Community National School model is proceeding on the basis of very clearly stated principles in respect of the availability of religious education during the school day, in conformity with the wishes of parents. Approaches to the delivery of religious education in line with these principles are being developed on an action research basis over the course of the pilot phase. The...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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) was announced as part of the Government's programme for the rationalisation of agencies. The new organisation will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 20 together. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years, with the appointment of 6,000 extra teachers in the primary sector alone since 2002. In considering the need to provide extra resource and other teachers to schools in recent years, the Government could have decided to make children...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The review of schools and special classes was commenced by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2007 and involves wider consultation with schools and Education partners selected by the NCSE. It is expected that the review will be completed in 2009 and I look forward to receiving the report from the NCSE.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 expenditure could not be totally spared, and I acknowledge the...