Results 7,081-7,100 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The postgraduate diploma in primary education is currently provided by four state-funded Colleges of Education. The issue of providing such courses in the coming year is currently being considered in the context of likely demands in the system and the resources available. A decision on the matter will be communicated to the relevant colleges as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers was one of ten projects announced in January 2009 to be re-tendered. Following the receipt and clearance of the revised tender and associated documentation, the project was authorised to go to tender in June. Following the satisfactory resolution of some issues with the Tender Report, the Board of Management was authorised to issue a letter of intent to...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 469 together. Based on current demographic trends my Department anticipates that there will be a need for a further post-primary school in the Lucan area in the medium term. Officials from the Department have carried out a technical inspection of the various site options identified by South Dublin County Council. On foot of the technical report my...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There were 8,582 Special Needs Assistant posts in the primary sector and 2,014 in the post primary sector at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. 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 (SNAs) to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are 1,535 whole time equivalent English language support teaching posts allocated in the current school year. 1,173 posts are allocated to the primary sector and 362 posts to the post-primary sector. The level of extra teaching support provided in respect of language support to any school is determined by the numbers of eligible pupils enrolled and the associated assessed levels of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is...

Written Answers — Construction Contracts: Construction Contracts (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The matter to which the Deputy refers is appropriate to the Governing Authority of the National University of Ireland Galway to whom the matter has been referred.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the distinction between administrative and teaching principals in ordinary primary schools. There were 1,163 ordinary primary schools which had a full-time administrative principal in the 2008-2009 school year. A further 2,012 ordinary primary schools had a teaching principal. Primary schools with a staffing of a Principal and up to 6 mainstream...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is an all boys junior school catering for junior infants, senior infants and 1st class pupils. The information in relation to the date the school opened and the cost of the building works involved is being extracted from archived records. Details will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course. This information would also be available in the Parish records....

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to inform the Deputy that the school in question had a satellite broadband connection under phase I of the Schools Broadband Programme. The satellite dish was taken down when the school moved to a new building on the same premises and I understand there have been problems since the dish was re-installed. My Department is currently awarding contracts under the second phase of the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: From the details supplied by the Deputy it appears that the qualifications of the person in question, who is qualified to work as a special needs assistant, are not acceptable to my Department as a tutor under the home tuition scheme. The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides a grant to parents to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The matter raised by the Deputy is being examined in my Department. I will arrange for a full reply to issue to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The arrangements for the payment of grants under the Grant Schemes are a matter for the Local Authorities. The terms of the Higher Education Grants Scheme for the 2009/10 academic year provide for the payment by the Local Authorities of each maintenance grant in three equal instalments as early as possible in each term with the individual payable orders being addressed to the grantholder C/0...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the recognition of teacher qualifications is now a matter for the Teaching Council, the body with responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession, consequently the issue of conversion courses is a matter for the Council in the first instance. I have no plans to establish such a course, at present.

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Claims for the payment for substitute teaching work are submitted by individual schools through my Department's on-line claims system (OLCS). Each school submits details of the absent teacher, the reason for the absence (to determine if it is a substitutable absence) and the details of the substitute teacher for whom payment is claimed. Once records are verified and saved, these records are...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy correctly states, a tender amount of €850,000 for the major restoration and refurbishment project at the school to which he refers was approved by my Department. This was the tender amount and with contingencies and extras arising on the contract, the final account was €1.08 million, as stated in my reply on 10 November 2009. The Department has a template design for stand...

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the information requested by the Deputy relates to post-primary schools only and that the Deputy does not require information on teacher salaries for individual schools. I wish to advise the Deputy that the names, addresses and enrolment details for all second level schools in the 2008/09 school year are available on my Department's website, under the Education Provider...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The rationale for the introduction of bursaries would be to address a perceived lack of interest on the part of students in undertaking programmes in particular disciplines. Some €2.5 million per annum is allocated to the Discover Science and Engineering programme, funded by Forfás, to promote the take up of science, engineering and technology in schools and colleges, as well as an...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government's Framework for Building Ireland's Smart Economy committed to the expansion of summer schools in science and engineering with an emphasis on innovation and commercialisation. As the Deputy may be aware, there is currently a substantial calendar of summer schools in place across higher education institutions, targeted at both second-level and primary level pupils. Summer...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (17 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The BT young scientist competition has been expanded this year to include a new business programme that will provide selected students with the opportunity to develop the business knowledge they need to turn their innovative ideas into commercial opportunities. The new programme creates a forum for 40 students to be mentored by leading executives and professionals from BT, IBM, Intel,...