Results 6,121-6,140 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The numbers of School Principals and Deputy Principals who have retired on pension from Primary, Secondary, Community and Comprehensive Schools in each of the years 2004 to 2008 inclusive are set out in the Tabular Statement. The figures for post-primary teachers do not include VEC teachers where the retirements and pension benefit awards are made by the relevant VEC. Number of Principals...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently 918 schools at primary and post-primary level renting temporary accommodation. I can confirm that the amount spent on renting temporary accommodation for 2008 was €53m. It should be noted that temporary accommodation is not limited to prefabs and can also involve the rental of high quality buildings. Following analysis of costs in my Department, it is now the practice...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department for capital funding on 2nd June 2009. Their proposal includes 3 classrooms for a special needs unit to replace prefabricated units and associated external works. A decision will issue as soon as the application has been fully processed. In the interim, it is open to the school to apply to the Department in relation to any...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Higher Education Grant Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. Under the scheme an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution. I understand the college referred to by the Deputy is a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 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 my...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (30 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 — School Placement: School Placement (30 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A total of 1439 appeals have been made to the Department of Education and Science, under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, against decisions by schools to refuse enrolment to children. Of this total, 738 went to full hearing, of which 360 of the appeals were upheld in favour of the parents. Determinations issued by appeal committees under Section 29 of the Education Act are binding by...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Returning Officers are statutorily responsible for the conduct of elections in the various constituencies and may, under electoral law, use school premises for this purpose. Where a school is used as a polling station for elections on a day on which the school was scheduled to be open, the school authorities concerned are allowed to count the day of polling as a day of exceptional...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In addition to the details of the applicant's condition supplied by the Deputy the child in question has a severe general learning disability and is therefore eligible for July Provision. The child's parents have been advised accordingly.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Jul 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.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, I met a delegation from County Offaly VEC, which included representatives of the school to which the Deputy refers, last November. We discussed their application for a large scale capital funding for a new school building, which has been received and assessed by my Department. The Deputy will be aware that on 12 February, 2009, I announced details of 25 projects...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that Circular 0015/2009 sets out how the new arrangements will operate for the allocation of language support teachers from September 2009. The circular sets out a structure and transparent approach for the operation of the alleviation measures that were announced in the budget for schools that have a significant concentration of newcomer pupils, including...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 Jul 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 — Gaelscoileanna sa Ghaeltacht: Gaelscoileanna sa Ghaeltacht (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Faoi théarmaí Ailt 6 den Acht Oideachais, 1998, leagtar oibleagáid shainiúil ar an earnáil oideachais cuidiú leis an nGaeilge a choinneáil mar phríomhtheanga an phobail i limistéir Ghaeltachta. Éilíonn an tAcht go gcuirfí riachtanais teanga agus cultúrtha na mac léinn chun cinn ag féachaint do roghanna a dtuismitheoirí. Chun na críche sin, is é polasaí mo Roinne go...

Written Answers — Luath-thumoideachas Iomlán: Luath-thumoideachas Iomlán (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá fúm ceisteanna 272 agus 276 a thógáil le chéile. Tacaíonn an Roinn go hiomlán le múnlaí an tumoideachais agus tá scoileanna lán- Ghaeilge curtha chun cinn agus tacaithe aici ag an mbunleibhéal agus ag an iarbhunleibhéal. Baineann Ciorclán 44/2007 le cearta na dtuismitheoirí rochtain a bheith ag a gclann ar an gcuraclam iomlán, an Béarla san áireamh, ón gcéim is...

Written Answers — Aitheantas Gaelscoileanna: Aitheantas Gaelscoileanna (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá fúm ceisteanna 273 agus 275 a thógáil le chéile. Is cóir dom a mhíniú go bhfuil an Coimisiún um Chóiríocht Scoile ag tabhairt faoi athbhreithniú ar an bpróiseas aitheanta do bhunscoileanna nua. Tá Meitheal Teicniúil curtha ar bun, faoi ordú Chathaoirligh an Choimisiúin, chun athbhreithniú iomlán a ghabháil de láimh ar na critéir agus ar na nósanna imeachta...

Written Answers — Curaclam na Gaeilge: Curaclam na Gaeilge (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Foilsitheoirí oideachasúla a sholáthraíonn téacsanna agus acmhainní do scoileanna de ghnáth ar bhonn tráchtála. Tá an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta bunaithe ag mo Roinn chun críche comhairle faoi pholasaí, taighde, seirbhís tacaíochta agus téacsanna agus ábhair a chur ar fáil chun tacú le múineadh na Gaeilge agus múineadh trí Ghaeilge. Tá...

Written Answers — Ionad Náisiúnta Oideachais: Ionad Náisiúnta Oideachais (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: D'fhógair mo chomhleacaí Comh-aireachta, an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta agus an tAire Hanafin, a chuaigh romham, i Márta 2007 go mbeadh tionscnamh tacaíochta agus forbartha don Ghaeilge, faoi choimirce na Comhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, suite ag Coláiste Íosagáin i mBaile Bhúirne agus go sannfaí ceathrar ball foirne breise don...

Written Answers — Canúintí na Gaeilge: Canúintí na Gaeilge (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tá fúm ceisteanna 278 agus 279 a thógáil le chéile. Soláthraíonn scoileanna sa Ghaeltacht oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ina theannta sin, cuireann gréasán coláistí oideachais cúrsaí ar fáil do dhaoine óga agus d'aosaigh atá ceaptha chun inniúlacht sa sprioctheanga a fheabhsú agus deiseanna a thabhairt do mhic léinn iad féin a thumadh i gcanúint agus i gcultúr na...

Written Answers — Canúintí na Gaeilge: Canúintí na Gaeilge (1 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Is féidir gur eol don Teachta go bhfuil ról reachtúil ag an gComhairle Múinteoireachta maidir le hathbhreithniú na gcaighdeán a theastaíonn i gcomhair iontrála ar ghairm na múinteoireachta, ar a n-áirítear na caighdeáin eolais, scile agus inniúlachta a theastaíonn do chleachtas na múinteoireachta. Tá a cuid oibre maidir leis an athbhreithniú seo tosaithe ag an gComhairle...