Results 6,721-6,740 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Personal Assistants are utilised within third level colleges for certain classes of students with disabilities, mainly those with physical or mobility difficulties. The main source of funding for personal assistants is the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Colleges of further and higher education can apply to the Fund on behalf of students who require a personal assistant in order to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (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. Planned expenditure...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials from my Department have met officials from the City Council and representatives of Naomh Fionnbarra GAA club to discuss the possibility of entering into a lease arrangement with the City Council. Such an arrangement would, in time, require the GAA club to surrender its interest in some of the lands required for the building project. My Department has written to the GAA club...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the context of the Towards 2016 Review and Transitional Agreement in 2008, it was agreed that the relevant parties would enter into discussions regarding the terms and conditions of both school secretaries and caretakers. Following ratification of the Transitional Agreement by the Unions in November 2008, a forum was set up in December 2008 under whose auspices these discussions could be...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has no record of an application being received for capital funding to provide car parking and safety facilities at this school. Should an application be received for funding for such works, it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Data quoted in the relevant section of my submission to the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes as referred to by the Deputy are contained in a report titled "Review and Prioritisation of Capital Projects in the Higher Education Sector" published by the HEA in 2004. The report sets out a strategy to meet the future capital needs of the higher education sector....

Seanad: Public Transport: Motion (7 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: No.

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Question 104: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [35022/09]

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Question 117: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding a medical card application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [35106/09]

Written Answers — Public Procurement Guidelines: Public Procurement Guidelines (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Education Centre in question is part of a network of twenty one full time and nine part time centres. As per the Education Act (1998) these centres are bodies corporate and each centre has a management committee which governs their day to day business. My Department does provide funding to the Education Centres and has provided the Centres with a set of Financial Guidelines which they...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The inquiry to which the Deputy refers was established in February 2006 by my predecessor as Minister for Education and Science and relates to Kilkenny City Vocational School. The terms of reference are set out below. I share the Deputy's concerns regarding the delay in concluding this inquiry. In view of the time that has elapsed since the establishment of the inquiry, the inquiry officer...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority - i.e. the Local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The bulk of the funding due for payment under the terms of the contract between the school and the contractor for this project has issued to the school on foot of appropriate certification that certain works have been completed. However, to date, a final certificate, signed by the Consultant Architect, confirming satisfactory completion of the project has not been received in my Department...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment...

Written Answers — School Staff Recruitment: School Staff Recruitment (8 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The recruitment and appointment of personnel to fill teaching posts is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (8 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 Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 474 together. Almost €5.4m has now been provided to the schools approved in 2009 for funding for the purchase of prefabricated classroom(s)/construction of permanent classroom(s). €1.07m of this related to schools providing permanent rooms. The balance was paid out in relation to prefabricated rooms. The total estimated cost of approvals to date in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The grant referred to by the Deputy is determined and administered by Fáilte Ireland. The courses in question were never eligible under the means-tested maintenance grant scheme of my Department. I understand that discussions are currently ongoing between Fáilte Ireland, Institutes of Technology Ireland and the Higher Education Authority in relation to the future management and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the third level student grant schemes grants may not be paid in respect of a repeat period of study except in certain circumstances relating to courses at level 6 or 7. There is provision for a change of mind under the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees which provides grants for attendance at level 6 Higher Certificate courses - Middle Level Technician Programme and...