Results 6,641-6,660 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The candidate referred to by the Deputy is seeking funding under the maintenance grants schemes for a repeat period of study. Clause 7.2 of the Higher Education Maintenance Grant Scheme States; "A Grant is tenable for the normal duration of the approved course and is renewable annually subject to satisfactory attainment and the approval of the Local Authority, subject to the terms of...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that plans are well in train to re-locate the school to which he refers to alternative and more suitable accommodation. The planning and Building Unit of my Department is working closely with the school authority to ensure that the transfer to this accommodation is as smooth as possible. With regard to the school's application for a new building, this, in...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Inspectorate is a Division within the Department of Education and Science. While inspectors are generally recruited to work in either the primary or post-primary sector, the work of the Inspectorate is managed as a unified service headed by the Chief Inspector. The Inspectorate is divided into two sub-divisions, each headed by a Deputy Chief Inspector. The Regional Subdivision is...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1144 and 1145 together. Since the implementation of the moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the Public Sector there has been a total of six retirements from the Inspectorate of my Department. Of these retirements, five were primary inspectors and one a post primary inspector. ^^ Proposed Legislation. ^^

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have indicated my intention to commence Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act in the near future. I have also indicated that the commencement of the section will provide for it to be regulated that a school may employ unregistered personnel on a time limited basis in exceptional circumstances. I believe that the above proposed legislative arrangement reflects the situation facing schools...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1147 to 1151, inclusive, together. With regard to the 2008/2009 academic year, 2,469 applications were accepted for probation. Of that number, 2,324 have successfully completed the required professional element and my Department is currently in the process of checking that the service requirement has been fulfilled. 58 teachers deferred their probation for...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1152 and 1161 to 1163, inclusive, together. My Department is progressing work to improve systems within the Department to facilitate access to accurate and up-to-date information both to ensure more efficient use of official time and to reduce the administrative burden on schools. My Department began the process of rationalising internal databases a number of...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1153 and 1154 together. The inventory to which the Deputy refers was a pilot project carried out in schools in County Kildare. It was intended that the results of this pilot project would be used by the Department to determine the merits, or otherwise, of expanding the inventory on a nationwide basis. The project commenced in 2001 and was completed in 2002....

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1155 and 1156 together. I will arrange to forward the information requested by the Deputy shortly. It is anticipated that there will be a saving of at least €14m in expenditure on rental of 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...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1157 and 1158 together. Details of the schools approved for a devolved capital grant to provide temporary accommodation (with the option to provide permanent accommodation instead for the same funding) are given in the following tabular statement. The list of approvals covers the period 2008 and 2009 to-date and indicate the options being pursued by the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The following table provides the details requested by the Deputy with the exception of enrolments for 2009/2010 which are not yet available as the returns have not yet been received from schools. The list includes 27 schools as there was a further 8 classroom school delivered late in 2008 in Saggart, under the rapid delivery programme. This was delayed from making the initial programme owing...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The first phase of a new post-primary school building with accommodation for up to 350 pupils has been completed and is in operation. The building's flexible design allowed for the opportunity to provide sufficient accommodation for a new start-up primary school as part of the first phase. This accommodation is available for use as a new primary school in 2010 if the demand is there. The...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1164 to 1182, inclusive, together. Information on the current school building programme and on applications on hand for major capital works is available on my Departmentâ€TMs web-site at www.education.ie. The following tabular statements (Table 1 and Table 2 respectively) provides the additional information requested by the Deputy. Every application for...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the construction industry has experienced a change in trading conditions in the last year. This has resulted in certain changes for the operation and management of large public tender competitions and the management of projects for my Department. The reduction in demand generally in the construction industry has resulted in welcome reductions in prices being...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The progression of school building projects, whether to commence architectural planning or to proceed to tender and construction, is undertaken with regard to a range of factors including the availability of funding and the priority attaching to projects. During the process to make a final selection of projects for the purposes of developing a school building programme, I consult with, and...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1185 and 1186 together. Information relating to appointments in temporary or permanent positions by teachers who qualified in Northern Ireland is not available on my Department's systems. However, I will arrange for information in relation to the number of appointments of EU qualified teachers to permanent and temporary posts in primary schools to be...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The recruitment and appointment of personnel to fill teaching posts is a matter for the authority of each individual school, subject to agreed procedures. It is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and then only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1188 and 1189 together. My Department has made enquiries with Marino Institute of Education and the number of primary teachers who trained in another jurisdiction and who undertook all or part of the Scrudú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge (SCG) during the 2008/2009 academic year was 589. The SCG consists of 4 modules and candidates may take different modules in...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the terms of Directive 2005/36/EC the Teaching Council is the designated authority in Ireland for assessing applications for registration from persons recognised as teachers in other EU/EEA countries. Where shortfalls are identified in the courses of study undertaken leading to the academic and professional qualifications held by such applicants, the applicant must be...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (6 Oct 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 changes made in...