Results 6,681-6,700 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers has been tendered and a preferred bidder identified. Officials in my Department recently authorised the Board of Management to commence the award process. The first stage of this process is to request the preferred bidder to submit various documents such as his insurances, bond, tax clearance etc. If\when the preferred bidder submits these documents and...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As you may be aware, a wide-ranging review of the provision of temporary school accommodation is underway in my Department. Part of that review is the development of standardised designs and specifications and associated documentation for the procurement of temporary accommodation. In progressing this element of the review, the firm of specialists engaged to assist with this review has...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Educational Needs Organisers are employed by the National Council for Special Education which prescribes the following qualifications and experience required for appointment to these positions: a third level qualification, preferably at degree level, or a professional qualification relevant to the provision of services to children with disabilities;...

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. While the NCSE recognises that the...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Special Education Appeals Board was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 to hear and determine appeals under the Act. The Appeals Board comprises a Chairperson, Ms Fionnuala Kilfeather, and two ordinary members, Mr Páid McGee and Mr Patrick O'Keeffe, all of whom have a special interest in, or knowledge of, education and in...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1222 to 1226, inclusive, together. The Statistics section of my Department's website now contains data at individual primary school level, including the number of teachers in each school for the 2008/2009 school year. The Primary Census for the 2009/2010 school year will be carried out in the Autumn and the final outcome will be made available when this...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1227 to 1231, inclusive, together. Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. At the level of individual schools, the budget changes in relation to the allocation of teaching posts will impact in different ways, depending on whether enrolment is...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) forms a mandatory part of curriculum provision in primary schools and in junior cycle. The overall aim is to help develop students' confidence and self esteem, and promote the skills for living, for responsible decision making, and for mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing. The implementation of these programmes in schools is supported...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1233 to 1237, inclusive, together. Class size data for primary schools for 2009/2010 is not yet available. The source of this data is the Annual Census of Primary Schools which is carried out in the Autumn. Data will become available when returns for all schools have been processed.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The correspondence to which the Deputy refers was received in my Department last week. The issues raised in this correspondence will be referred to the patron of the school concerned.

Written Answers — Teachers' Pensions: Teachers' Pensions (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Revised Spouses and Children's Pension Scheme was introduced in 2005 following a Government decision. Teachers who were members of the main pension scheme at any time between 31 March 2004 and 31 August 2005 were given the option of joining the revised scheme or of retaining their present status, either as members of the Original Spouses' and Children's Scheme or remaining outside such...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: 81.2% of second level pupils study three languages, Irish, English and a continental language, to completion of upper second level, and over 70% of schools offer two foreign languages or more. The languages available as part of the post primary curriculum in schools include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic. The post primary language initiative provides supports...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2008, my Department provided grants of €1.23 million to schools for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme. Schools also benefited from an equipment grant, amounting to €5,079 for each school offering the programme. As a result of the need to make savings in Budget 2009, this grant was abolished with effect from 1 January 2009. The budget required difficult choices to be made...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that under my Department free tuition fees schemes the exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students. Third level institutions are autonomous bodies and, as such, may determine the level of fees to be charged in any case where the free fees schemes do not apply. The issue of a refund of tuition fees is also a matter for each institution and I have...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department previously met with County Dublin Vocational Committee to discuss the matter of a site for the school and County Dublin VEC have agreed to dispose of the site adjacent to the existing school site to the Department under the terms of a 99 year lease. The Department has recently received the legal documents in question from the VEC and has instructed the CSSO to progress the...