Results 5,701-5,720 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school project. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2.2 rating. In view of the current budgetary constraints, I am not in a position to provide...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 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 (20 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. The various impacts at...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 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 (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school project. 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. Following a site examination it was established that additional land is...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS. I can inform the Deputy that there are currently 159 psychologists employed in my Department's...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: A Notification of Intention to apply for recognition of a new primary school in the Athlone area has been received from the Patron Body for Educate Together. I have recently announced a review of the procedures for the establishment of new primary schools under the Commission on School Accommodation. It is expected that the review of procedures for recognising primary schools will be...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers made application under the Summer Works Scheme for an electrical upgrade. I am pleased to confirm that the school concerned were successful in their application for funding and have been notified accordingly. The purpose of the Summer Works Scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small scale building works which,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of the school concerned. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment in schools. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is one of ten projects announced in January to be re-tendered with a view to going on site as soon as possible. My Department has received and reviewed the Stage 2B (detailed design) submission from the Design Team. There are some issues to be clarified and it is proposed to meet with the school authorities and their Design Team shortly to discuss...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the review of all Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts in primary, special and post-primary schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE has been requested by my Department to arrange for its Special Educational Needs Organisers to review SNA allocations in all schools with a view to...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that my Department recently wrote to Dublin City Council advising them of the design option favoured by the GAA club, and requested the Local Authority to consider a technical assessment of the site incorporating the views of the GAA. A response is awaited.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no area value set down in primary or secondary legislation or on an administrative basis for minimum classroom size. However, my Department has guidelines in relation to the size of classrooms in new school buildings. These are guidelines rather than statutory requirements. In the provision of major extensions/new school buildings it is the current practice of my Department to use...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (21 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Educational Psychological Service currently has a staffing complement of 34 administrative and 159 psychologist staff distributed over some 22 regional and local offices nationwide. As I have previously informed the House I was pleased to announce, following the recent Budget, that I have provided an increase in the financial allocation to NEPS with a view to increasing the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I indicated to the Deputy in my response to Dáil Question No. 447 answered on 12th May last, I introduced a further innovation, in July of 2008 which allows those schools with an urgent and pressing need for additional accommodation which is likely to last for more than 3 years, and who are being given approval for grant aid, to avail of the option of using their grants either to purchase...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. Following a survey of over 900 schools across the country my Department has set up a database giving details regarding their use of prefabricated accommodation. The information gathered does not specify whether the accommodation in individual schools is entirely made up of temporary buildings. Separately, arrangements are being...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (21 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. A building contractor has not yet been appointed as the project is still progressing towards tender stage. The contract notice seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified contractors has been...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (21 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has recently received the revised Stage 2B submission from the Design Team which is being examined by my Officials. Stage 2B which includes the detailed design and bill of quantities for the project is the precursor to tender stage. My Department will inform the school authorities of further progress once the Stage 2B submission has been approved.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (21 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 over the coming years. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and capacity of existing schools and the...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (21 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The person in question gave intermittent substitute service which was non-pensionable up until recently. However, arising from recently introduced improvements in superannuation, it will be possible for the person to reckon the service for superannuation purposes subject to meeting certain criteria and to payment of appropriate contributions. Pending the finalisation of the detailed...