Results 6,061-6,080 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for capital funding for a large scale building project. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 2 rating. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to grants for patron bodies at primary level for the purpose of running their organisations in the past five years is set out in the following table. Since 2007, my Department has required each of the patron bodies to provide audited accounts for the previous year as a pre-condition to payment of these grants. Audited accounts have been...

Written Answers — School Inspections: School Inspections (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 212, 218 and 219 together. I can confirm that Department officials met with the management of the school concerned in September 2006. My Department had engaged frequently with the school in question from 2003 onwards arising from concerns identified by my Department's Inspectorate and from other concerns that were brought to my Department's attention, and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has permitted the retention of a mild general learning disability (MGLD) class in the schools in question for the 2009/2010 school year subject to the schools' acceptance of the administrative arrangements.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the correspondence to which the Deputy refers and will respond to it as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant Vocational...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the application from the school in question for funding under the Summer Works Scheme to replace doors and windows has been approved following reassessment. The school management has been informed of the decision. A key principle behind the devolution of this Scheme is that responsibility for the management of the project is devolved to the school...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to grants awarded to the school since 2001 is not readily available. I have asked my officials to compile this information and to forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jun 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 primary and post primary schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support....

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers received funding under the 2007 Small Schools Scheme. The school's original grant under the scheme was increased following an appeal for further funding to meet unavoidable extra costs. This school made an application under the SWS 2009 for a number of projects. However, their original application was not successful. The school submitted an appeal of...

Written Answers — Vocational Educational Committees: Vocational Educational Committees (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The post referred to by the Deputy is subject to the moratorium on recruitment and promotion applicable to the civil and public service and my Department does not have any authority to approve the filling of the post. The Government did decide that in exceptional circumstances certain posts may be filled, subject to the prior sanction of the Minister for Finance. In the case of the post...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has considered the correspondence submitted by the school in question appealing the decision to suppress a class for pupils with a Mild General Learning Disability. My Department recently advised the school that the decision to suppress the class remains. I understand that the school has subsequently written to my Department regarding the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has considered the correspondence submitted by the school in question appealing the decision to suppress a class for pupils with a Mild General Learning Disability. My Department recently advised the school that the decision to suppress the class remains. I understand that the school has subsequently written to my Department regarding the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Jun 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 primary and post primary schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The candidate was awarded the full rate of maintenance grant in March 2009 when outstanding documentation required to process her grant application was received by the awarding authority. I can confirm that the candidate has been paid all arrears to date, and the final grant instalment due to her for the current academic year will be issued on the 26th June, 2009.

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Board: Residential Institutions Redress Board (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under statute in December 2002. Under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, the board is completely independent in the performance of its functions. Consequently, my Department does not have access to any information on individual applications to the board. Section 8 of the Act provides for the board to accept...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 472 and 499 together. The number of mainstream class teachers appropriate to a school for the 2009-10 school year is determined by reference to the school's valid enrolment on 30 September 2008, in accordance with the staffing schedule (Primary Circular 0002/2009) which is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie. The schedule is a transparent...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Criteria for the 2009 maintenance grant schemes are under review at present. Decisions on the 2009 schemes will be announced as soon as the process is completed. I presume the Deputy is referring to free tuition fees. As the Deputy 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...

Written Answers — Early Retirement Scheme: Early Retirement Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement for public servants over 50 years of age was announced in the supplementary budget in April of this year. To date, my Department has received 18 applications under the new incentivised retirement scheme. It does not apply to teachers or special needs assistants for two reasons. First, teachers and special needs assistants are not subject to the...