Results 6,941-6,960 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my belief that a well planned Physical Education programme has a vitally important role to play in a broad and balanced curriculum for our primary and second level students. At primary level, Physical Education is one of seven curriculum areas within the revised Primary School Curriculum which was introduced in 1999. A minimum of one hour of physical education per week is recommended...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second-level schools should provide Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on my Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered in the school timetable. The syllabuses have been developed on the basis of a time allocation...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633 to 644, inclusive, together. The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of carrying out detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014/2015. When the required reports have been completed for these initial areas...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that construction has commenced at the school in question and it is envisaged that the construction work should be completed in late 2010.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: In general, where pupils have specific physical needs for specialised/adapted furniture and equipment in order for them to attend school, an application for funding may be made to the Planning and Building Unit in my Department. This application must be supported by an Occupational Therapist's Report confirming the need for the item(s) in question. It is open to all schools, including...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of carrying out detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014/2015. When the required reports have been completed for these initial areas selected the Forward Planning Section will continue to work on...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 648 and 649 together. The Revised 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. Under the revised programme we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. My Department will be consulting...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 650 to 652, inclusive, and 655 to 657, inclusive, together. I wish to assure the Deputy that the provision of appropriate educational intervention and supports for children with special educational needs continues to be a key Government priority. This is reflected in the fact that my Department was the only Department other than Social Welfare that got an...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The funding for the commitments in the revised Programme for Government will be considered in the overall context of the funding available to Government for next year.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will appreciate that while some costs in the Renewed Programme for Government can be identified with a degree of certainty the costs of other elements will depend on their precise implementation. The specific education measures include a commitment to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio for the lifetime of the Government, 500 teaching posts over the next three years,...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (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. Under the revised programme we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. These posts will be allocated to the schools that are most seriously affected by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the expenditure adjustments made to the Education Vote in the context of Budget 2009 (October 2008) and the 2009 Supplementary Budget (April, 2009) were made available at that time. Attached for your information are copies of the documents that issued. The renewed Programme for Government provides for a number of specific measures in the education sector including a commitment to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. The Government took these decisions to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education expenditure,while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. I fully accept that while these...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 661 and 662 together. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all schools is currently only available at national level and is not disaggregated by school or any other variable. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains information relating to class size in primary schools for the school years 2006/07 to 2008/09. The primary census for the current...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that construction has commenced at the school in question and it is expected that the construction work will be completed in late 2010.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 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 a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665 to 677, inclusive, together. 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. My Department proposes to...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Working through the arts helps to nurture and develop cognitive, communicative, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social, and spiritual intelligences and skills. Arts education in primary schools, through the subjects of Music, Visual Arts, Drama, and through language, provides opportunities for a child to express ideas, feelings and imaginative insights, to make sense of and express...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 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 — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Board of Management of each school is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. My Department further requires each school to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the framework of an overall school code of behaviour and discipline. Such a code, developed through...