Results 5,681-5,700 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department is in receipt of an application for major capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers. Officials from my Department recently met with a representative of the school to discuss its accommodation needs and is aware that the school has secured a four acre site for the provision of a new school. The school were advised that the Forward Planning Section of my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that my Department has received a major capital application from the school to which the deputy refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band rating of 1.1. The building project is awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. The progression of all large scale building...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am committed to providing information in relation to the allocation of teachers to schools and as a new feature on my Department's website. The process has begun with the provision earlier this year of initial information on the allocation of mainstream classroom teachers to primary schools under the revised schedule for 2009/10. In terms of the position at individual primary school level...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning. I met with a delegation from the school in November last and in the course of that meeting the school authorities provided me with a document on the background to this project. The Principal of the school wrote to my Department in December. An official from my Department subsequently contacted the school...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department made a formal offer to purchase parish owned lands in February 2008 as a permanent site for the school in question. A response to this offer is awaited.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The number of permanent teaching posts available in VEC schemes at any one time is determined in accordance with the agreed criteria relating to the application of the pupil teacher ratio. It is a matter for the individual VEC scheme, as employer, to determine whether any particular post when vacated may be filled on a permanent basis. The number of permanent whole-time appointments in each...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that emergency funding was recently approved for major roof works at the school in question. School management has been informed of the approval.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that my Department has received a major capital application from the school to which he refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band rating of 2.2. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project in question, from initial design stage through...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Institutes of Technology are autonomous statutory bodies. Under the terms of the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, the governance and day-to-day management of the institutions, including procedures for dealing with allegations of bullying and harassment, are matters for which the Governing Bodies and the management of the relevant institutions are responsible. As employers all...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. As the Deputy will be aware, in February, I announced details of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction and 25 high priority projects to commence architectural planning. The project to which the Deputy refers was not included in this...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect my Department, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared, and I acknowledge the impact of funding restrictions...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. This project was not included in my announcement of projects to progress this year which I made in February. Therefore it is unlikely it will be progressed in 2009. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, it is my Department's intention to provide the school in question with a new building. In this regard, agreement has been reached to provide the new building on a V.E.C. owned site. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project in question, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: With regard to study abroad, clause 7.3 of the Higher Education Grant Scheme states : " Where grantholders as part of their approved course, are required to attend foreign university courses for a period of up to one year, a maintenance grant may continue to be paid where the period abroad does not affect the normal duration of the approved course". The candidate referred to by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for major capital works, for the provision of a new school building, from the school to which he refers. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band rating of 2.2. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (19 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Report of the Advisory Committee on Third-Level Student Support which was chaired by Dónal de Buitléir was published in February, 1995 and included a number of recommendations, some of which have already been implemented. The issue of introducing an assessment of capital assets for the purposes of determining eligibility for student grants was among the issues considered and...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department in October 2007 for large scale capital funding for mainstream classroom accommodation, ancillary accommodation and refurbishment. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.4 rating. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project to which he refers is currently out to tender. Subject to the necessary technical and financial approvals, it is expected that I will be in a position to place a contract in the near future.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project at the school to which he refers was included in my recent announcement of 43 projects to proceed to tender and construction in 2009. The school's design team is currently finalising the tender documentation. A contract notice seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified contractors was published on the State's etender website on...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 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 (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. All schools have the names...