Results 6,581-6,600 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs or in relation to decisions concerning course provision. However, I understand that the University of Limerick offers programmes in Dance at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. There are also a number of VECs which offer various PLC...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been approved to progress towards tender and construction and is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. My Department has received additional information which it requested from the design team relating to the stage 3 submission (developed sketch design) for this project. This information has been considered and my...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129, 139 and 144 together. My Department is currently considering a number of broad policy issues relating to the recognition process for second level schools. The application from Educate Together to be recognised as a patron body at second level will be fully examined within the context of legal, financial and other factors that I must consider.

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the 2004–2008 period, whole-school evaluations were conducted in 933 primary schools as follows: 2004 – 53 WSE 2005 – 163 WSE 2006 – 228 WSE 2007 – 244 WSE 2008 – 245 WSE In the 2004–2008 period, whole-school evaluations were conducted in 241 post-primary schools as follows: 2004 – 12 WSE 2005 – 53 WSE 2006 – 57 WSE 2007 – 59 WSE 2008 – 60 WSE In the 2004–2008...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Whole-school evaluations (WSE) and subject inspections form just part of the Inspectorate's business plan in any given year. It should be noted that subject inspections are conducted in post-primary schools only. Inspectors are involved in a wide range of other work such as programme evaluations, the preparation of composite and thematic evaluation reports on aspects of educational provision...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Whole-school evaluation (WSE) is a model of external evaluation for primary and post-primary schools that was formally introduced during the school year 2003/2004. The number of inspectors employed within the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Science on the 31 December for each of the past five years since the introduction of whole-school evaluation is shown below. The current...

Written Answers — School Evaluations: School Evaluations (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: To facilitate self-evaluation as a central component of the continuous planning process the Inspectorate of my Department in 2003 published "Looking at Our School: An Aid to Self-Evaluation in Second-Level Schools" and "Looking at Our School: An Aid to Self-Evaluation in Primary Schools". These publications provide schools with a clear framework to inform internal quality assurance...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Until 31st August this year, a grant system operated which allowed the managerial authorities of primary schools to claim from my Department the funding required to pay part-time teachers employed in their schools. The teachers were paid by the managerial authorities. With effect from the 1st September this year, part-time resource, learning support and language support teachers are being...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: A major capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Information in respect of the current school building programme, including the project referred to by the Deputy, is now available on my Departments website at www.education.ie. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Sep 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. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned an appropriate band rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Sep 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. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned an appropriate band rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A major capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Information in respect of the current school building programme, including the project referred to by the Deputy, is now available on my Departments website at www.education.ie. Stage 2b documentation was very recently received by my Department and is currently under...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is being delivered under a "design and build" model and has been tendered. The award process has commenced. It is anticipated that the Letter of Acceptance (i.e. the award of the contract) will be issued in the coming days and that planning permission will be lodged in October. Until the award process is finalised and subsequent statutory approvals are...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. The position is that the Third Level Student Support Schemes operated under my Department do not extend to postgraduate study...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 to 147, inclusive, together. It is currently anticipated that there will be a saving of at least €14m in expenditure on rental temporary accommodation in 2009, compared to 2008. This clearly demonstrates the efforts being made by my Department to reduce spending in this area. The saving arises from a combination of the reduction in the number of new...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The development of a database for learners at all levels of education remains an important goal for my Department. It has not been possible to progress the development of the Learner Databases for students at Primary or Further Education levels at this time due to funding and staffing constraints. However, in recent years there have been a number of improvements to the Post-Primary Pupil...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (24 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my intention that funding for the purchase of information technology will be provided to schools in respect of permanent mainstream classrooms completed under devolved schemes in 2008 and to-date in 2009. I anticipate that the funding in respect of eligible projects will issue to schools next month.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The most recent statistics for direct employment in the English language sector come from a survey carried out from late 2008 to early 2009 on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, the body responsible for promotion and development of the sector. The survey's results estimated that there are approximately 1,200 people who are directly employed on a full-time, all year round basis, and that there are...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Expenditure for the Commission to Inquire into child Abuse from inception, to the end of 2008 was € 59.36 Million. At this point it is estimated that a further €30 — 40 million may be required to meet the remaining costs of the Commission. This is a tentative provision, given that the Commission has yet to negotiate on a large volume of third party legal costs.

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The student to which the Deputy refers has been provided with one print copy of brailled books from the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC). The NBPC's current policy is to make one set of books available in hard copy format to the client and provide an alternative electronic copy that schools/parents can arrange to braille. In exceptional circumstances, the NBPC will provide a second...