Results 7,181-7,200 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (24 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position in relation to the eighteen religious congregations, that were party to the 2002 indemnity agreement, making further substantial contributions by way of reparation following publication of the Ryan Report is that while responses have been received from some congregations, a full set of responses from all the congregations is awaited. The Panel appointed by the Government to...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (24 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Normal reporting arrangements between the grant awarding authorities and my Department are on the basis of three financial recoupments per year, a survey in January each year on progress in processing grant applications and an annual statistical return at the end of each academic year. This year, given the numbers of grant applications and the capacity of awarding authorities to process...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that teacher allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of special classes for pupils with a Mild General Learning Disability (MGLD) the normal pupil teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. My Department however permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of 9 pupils in the class. This minimum was...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (24 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position remains as outlined in Parliamentary Question No. 230 on 12 November 2009. The proposals in the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes are being considered as part of the estimates process for 2010. The decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government. While I will have to await the outcome of these deliberative...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (24 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The total cost incurred by my Department in respect of translating state documents was approximately €156,000 in 2008 and €118,000 to date in 2009. While these figures include the cost of translating documents into languages other than Irish, the cost element in respect of non-Irish translations is not significant. In order to reduce printing and distribution costs my Department adopted a...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The October Budget set out the changes in how all fee-charging schools are treated in relation to the number of publicly funded teaching posts they are allocated. With effect from 1 September 2009, teachers in all fee-charging schools are allocated at a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1, which is a point higher than allocations in non fee-charging post-primary schools. In view of the...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new post primary school project for Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, is one of the eight schools which I approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre procurement stage. Detailed output specifications and Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) are being prepared and outline planning applications have been submitted to the...

Written Answers — Third Level Institutions: Third Level Institutions (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has invested significantly in higher education in recent years with funding of some €2 billion being allocated this year to the sector which includes recurrent and capital funding. I acknowledge however that in the current difficult budgetary and economic climate that there will be challenges for our third level institutions in prioritising and managing budgets to...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials in my Department recently met with the Trustees of the school referred to by the Deputy. They expressed some concern about the future of the school and it is my understanding that they are considering a number of options in this regard. The Department were advised that the Trustees were proposing to meet with the Board of Management, staff and parent body from the school to...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. It is the responsibility of the managerial...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 319 to 322, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 provides that a child (defined as a person who is not more than 18 years) with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment unless such an arrangement is inconsistent with the best interests of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A major capital project at the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The brief is to provide a complete new school which will include appropriate science facilities. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction is dependent on the prioritisation of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Fund for Students with Disabilities, which provides supports to students with disabilities attending full-time courses at third level, currently operates in line with regulations concerning the Maintenance Grant. Therefore the provision of support does not extend to those attending part-time courses. The Higher Education Authority also provides institutions with recurrent funding to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 officials wrote to the council to advise them of the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 and 327 together. The recruitment, selection and appointment of teachers to all schools is a matter for each individual school authority as employer. While my Department operates a payroll service for teachers employed in schools it does not maintain records of vacancies within the schools. The purpose of the Government decision to implement a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 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 — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) for public servants over 50 years of age, announced in the Budget in April this year, does not apply to teachers for 2 reasons. Firstly, primary and post-primary teachers are not subject to the moratorium on recruitment which applies to most other parts of the public service and so retiring teachers are, in most cases, replaced. Secondly,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new post primary school project for Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, is one of the eight schools which I approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre procurement stage. Detailed output specifications and Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) are being prepared and outline planning applications have been submitted to the...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Where there is no psychologist available through NEPS, a school may access...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for capital funding for a large scale extension project. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 1 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works,...