Results 6,601-6,620 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (6 Oct 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 a school. 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 the Education...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Institutes of Technology are statutory bodies established under the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs or in relation to applications from individual prospective students. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to intervene on behalf of any particular student.

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand, following consultation between the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and FÁS, that the funding referred to by the Deputy is the funding for grant assistance that was targeted by FÁS at persons in employment towards the cost of participation on a particular course in the higher education institution also referred to by the Deputy. This funding was awarded on a year by year basis...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1093 and 1095 together. At post-primary level, in accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools physical education should form part of the curriculum in all schools. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on the Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered on the school timetable. It...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The substitution cover arrangements introduced in January 2009 will continue for the 2009/2010 school year. Each post-primary school has been provided with a defined number of hours of substitution cover outside of the supervision and substitution scheme to provide cover for teacher absences arising from uncertified sick leave and official school business. This was calculated on the basis...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1096 to 1098, inclusive, together. The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill vacancies in an individual school is a matter for the Board of Management of the school concerned. It is the policy of my Department that unqualified personnel should only be employed in exceptional circumstances and when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted. Unqualified personnel should therefore only be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1102 and 1103 together. Resource teaching is allocated to schools to support pupils with special educational needs who qualify for such support under the criteria outlined in various Department circulars. As the Deputy is aware, my Department implemented a general allocation system of learning support/resource teachers to mainstream primary schools in...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In order to establish a candidate's status as an independent mature student, documentary evidence is required as proof of a candidate's ordinary/permanent address from 1st October of the year preceding entry to college. Awarding authorities are obliged to satisfy themselves beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof has been submitted by the grant applicant. While an affidavit if...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Oct 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 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 and...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The postgraduate diploma in primary education is currently provided by four state-funded Colleges of Education. The issue of providing such courses in the coming year is currently being considered in the context of likely demands in the system and the resources available. A decision on the matter will be communicated to the relevant colleges as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy is referring to funding arrangements for primary schools. The way in which primary schools are funded takes account of the fact that the State's accounting period is based on a calendar year, while schools traditionally operate on the academic year commencing in September. Thus, primary schools receive capitation funding in January and June, and the ancillary services grant in...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1109 and 1110 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's Technical Guidance Documents require that all new school buildings and extensions are designed to cater for persons with varying ranges of physical ability and to ensure that they are not disadvantaged by design limitations. These guidance documents state that at least one car-parking space near the main entrance should be provided for disabled users and the number of...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy may be referring to advice which my Department sent to schools in Circular 47/09, sent to all primary and post-primary schools in August, which advised schools on how they could source information on and respond to the pandemic flu. My Department has been communicating public health advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health and Children to the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by Deputy is currently being collated by my officials, but unfortunately it has not been possible to fully gather all the relevant data in the time available. I will reply directly to the Deputy as soon as the information has been fully collated.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to reassure the Deputy that I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. The Deputy will be aware that I have met with representatives of both the Church of Ireland Board of Education and the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to discuss the funding...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In the 2008/2009 year, Modern European languages were taught in 505, or 15%, of our primary schools as part of an initiative that was introduced by my Department in September, 1998. The aims of this initiative include the development of communication skills in a modern European language, the fostering of positive attitudes to language learning and the diversification of the languages taught...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new site for the school referred to by the Deputy was acquired by the school Patron from a local developer as a result of a land swap. My Department has funded the construction of the new school. However, the project scope was predicated on the assurance that certain site development works and appropriate site access from the main road were to be carried out by the developer such as...