Results 7,361-7,380 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 to 388, inclusive, together. I can confirm that the schools to which the Deputy refers have made applications to my Department for large scale capital funding. The following table shows the dates on which these applications were received. Progression of a project is determined by its prioritisation rather than date of application. In this regard, the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 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 — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 392 together. The total number of students who have received financial assistance from the Millennium Partnership Fund in the academic year 2008-2009 in the counties listed by the Deputy are as follows County Donegal is 162. County Louth: 131 County Monaghan: 117 County Cavan: 49

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 394 together. The information requested by the Deputy is below and has been supplied to my Department by the local authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. Number of students in receipt of maintenance grant in 2008 Cavan 1,302 Donegal 3,089 Louth 1,609 Monaghan 1,219

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 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 — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Information in respect of all Major Capital Applications currently with my Department from schools for extensions, refurbishments and improvements are available on the Department's website at www.education.ie. The information is available on a county by county basis rather than by Dáil constituency. The projects are broken down into the following categories: Projects on site or...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO) for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A reply has issued to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy by the Higher Education - Equity Of Access Unit of my Department.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 to 404, inclusive, together. There are currently two Special Advisers working in my Department as follows: - Ms. Deirdre McDonnell, Principal Officer, is a Special Adviser on a salary of €108,207 per annum - Mr. Bernard Mallee, Special Adviser with responsibility for Press and Communications, is on an annual salary of €86,188. The salaries paid to...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information is not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. However the following information is currently to hand. For period from June 14 2007 until end 2007 a total of 101 payments relating to translations were processed by my Department at a combined cost of €124,723.59. Of these payments one was for a figure exceeding €10k, four were for amounts greater than €5k...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital works, including the project referred to by...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Planning permission was granted in November. Representatives from the VEC, the school and the design team attended a stage 2(b) briefing which was held in my Department's Offices in Tullamore on 9 December 2009. The school has now been authorised to progress to stage 2b (detailed design). The proposed...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I outlined to the Deputy in my reply of 1 December 2009 in relation to this case the initial award of pension to retiring vocational school teachers is calculated by the VEC concerned. The payment function is performed by the appropriate local authority following receipt of the approved rates from the VEC. My Department has made further enquiries with County Mayo VEC which has...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In June 2009 my Department received an application from the school referred to by the Deputy for funding to allow for the replacement of a newly acquired prefabricated unit with a permanent structure. The prefabricated unit was installed in 2007 and was rented by the school authorities. Following an assessment of the school's accommodation needs, with due regard to the quotation for the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the Department has received a request from the school referred by the Deputy to review their band rating under the prioritisation criterion. This request is currently being considered and a reply will issue to the school shortly. As the Deputy will be aware, the school's application for major capital works is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2000, the School to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department for capital funding to provide a multi-purpose room, an administration room, a Library/Resource area, a general purpose room, a storage/circulation area and ancillary facilities. The application was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2008, the School to which the Deputy refers made two applications to my Department for capital funding. The first application, in February 2008, was for large scale capital funding to provide a classroom, a resource room, a GP room and ancillary facilities. The application was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 413, 415 and 418 together. The Taoiseach and I recently announced a €150m plan for 'smart schools'. Under this scheme, as a first step, €22m in ICT grants was provided to primary schools in November. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the schools referred to by him all received funding for investment in ICT. A letter outlining the terms and...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A grant of €3,982.94 for the purchase of ICT equipment for the school referred to by the Deputy was paid by my Department on 19th November last. Funding is provided by my Department to primary schools for secretarial and caretaking by means of the ancillary services grant. The ancillary grant will be paid to all primary schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, in March 2010.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (16 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has no record of an application for funding for major capital works scheme from the school to which the Deputy refers. If the school has accommodation needs they may contact the School Planning and Building Unit in the Department who will arrange for the appropriate application forms to be issued. Alternatively the relevant forms are available on my Department's website at...