Results 6,841-6,860 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The current capital programme is the second largest ever to be rolled out in the State. The money that has been set aside will be spent on capital projects throughout the country. As I outlined in my reply, a new form of public works contract is now in place which places an onus on the builder to assume a greater degree of the risk associated with particular projects. As they familiarise...

Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understood that we put these projects on the website and that we had given them a band rating, so it was there for anybody to check them out. If that is not the case, I will check when I go back to my office.

Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I take it the Deputy was referring to Gaelscoil Barra in his first question. That school has released a CD about the issue. I cannot build a school when its board has not acquired a site. Negotiations are ongoing with the GAA. I understand that a close affinity exists between the school and the GAA. If we can get agreement from the GAA, then I want to buy the site. Until such time as...

Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am not aware of any difficulty with architects' fees, but I will check it out for the Deputy.

Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There will be a major building programme next year. I expect that my capital programme will be very extensive, but I cannot say exactly how extensive because we have not completed the Estimates. I am satisfied that I will get very good value and that I will continue to build more and more schools and classrooms. We have geophysical information on where there will be greatest need for...

Written Answers — Programme for Government: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 152 together. In drawing up the Revised Programme for Government all relevant issues including costs formed part of the consideration. With regard to their specific identification the Deputy will appreciate that while some costs can be identified with a degree of certainty the costs of other elements will depend on their precise implementation. The...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have previously advised the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has its own appeal mechanism. I understand that the NCSE is currently finalising a new set of procedures for appeal of SENO decisions in relation to the allocation of teaching/SNA resources. Under the proposed procedures appeals may be lodged by schools or parents. The appeal will need to set out...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposal put forward by the Deputy will be considered in the context of the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government to take on 1,000 Third and Fourth level graduates to provide additional capacity and skills across the public service and in Government Departments and provide valuable work experience. Any such proposals will also require consultation with the relevant...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 582 and 632 together. As the Deputy is aware, the purpose of the Government decision to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector is to facilitate a permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff serving in the public sector and is intended to contribute significant and ongoing savings to the Exchequer. In applying...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department proposes to structure a consultation process through meetings with the education partners in the coming weeks in accordance with the commitment to consultation as set out in the renewed Programme. In advance of such discussions it has written to the education partners to seek any observations or suggestions they may have in relation to the implementation of the commitment. This...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 128 together. As the Deputies are aware, the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government is to develop, in consultation with stakeholders, a costed multi-annual plan to implement some priority aspects of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, focussing on measurable, practical progress in education and health...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Grangegorman Development Agency was established under Section 8 of the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005. The general aim of the Agency is to oversee the development of the lands at Grangegorman on behalf of the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Health Services Executive. Section 12 of the Act provides that the...

Written Answers — Teacher Training Colleges: Teacher Training Colleges (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the Report of the Special Group recommended that my Department should decide on how to manage the supply of teachers, i.e whether the 5 teacher training colleges should continue to be funded to a lesser extent or whether to concentrate resources on a smaller number of colleges. This proposal, like other proposals made by the Special Group, is currently being considered...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Clustering arrangements exist within the primary system for the sharing, in certain instances, of specific resources such as resource teaching posts and also rural coordinator support. While there are currently no formal arrangements for the sharing of general resources or facilities it is open to schools to enter into local arrangements themselves e.g. in relation to pooling of existing...

Written Answers — Community National Schools: Community National Schools (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 133 together. It is important that the decision endorsed by the Government to implement a new model of primary school patronage is adequately supported both in financial and policy terms. In general, the opening of the two new community national schools has not given rise to any expenditure over and above that normally associated with the establishment...

Written Answers — Schools Patronage: Schools Patronage (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. Senior officials of my Department met with Archbishop Martin and other representatives of the Roman Catholic hierarchy separately in late 2007 to discuss a number of issues relating to patronage of primary schools. They discussed the different issues that might arise where one or more schools under Roman Catholic patronage might transfer...

Written Answers — Information and Telecommunications Technology: Information and Telecommunications Technology (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The ICT Strategy Group Report, "Investing Effectively in ICT in Schools" .which was published in July 2008, provides a clear direction to inform actions to further the integration of ICT into teaching and learning in our schools. The Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal, Building Ireland's Smart Economy, re-iterates Government policy to enhance the role of ICT in the education system,...

Written Answers — Programme for Government: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The renewed Programme for Government commits the Government to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government. It also states that we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. While the precise costs of the additional teaching posts cannot be determined until the...

Written Answers — University Rankings: University Rankings (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the world university rankings that were widely published in the media last week and I am pleased to note the positive progress of a number of Irish institutions on the basis of the measures involved. The institutions concerned are to be commended on their achievements. While any single ranking system needs to be carefully interpreted and the use of ranking systems of this...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is recognised by my Department. In common with all schools, when initially established, the school was granted temporary recognition to allow it to demonstrate its viability. With regard to the criteria for permanent recognition, my Department is guided by a Commission on School Accommodation (CSA) Report produced in 2004 on the "Criteria and...