Results 7,641-7,660 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Schools Patronage. (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy should not try my patience.
- School Staffing. (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: We will need to confirm that figure for the Deputy.
- National University of Ireland. (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 11 and 13 together. I stand by the Government's decision to dissolve the National University of Ireland. Since 1997, the NUI has not been a federal university in any real sense. All significant powers ordinarily associated with a university are directly assigned to the four constituent universities of the NUI. They make awards themselves and have their...
- Departmental Correspondence. (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 14 together. A response has issued to the correspondence from the Justice for Magdalenes group and my officials have been in touch with the group to arrange a meeting with its representatives. The residential institutions redress scheme was introduced as an exceptional measure to provide compensation for people who were sent as children to, and who were...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is at present carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools. The purpose of this review is to ensure that all SNA posts meet the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department's...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The first school to which the Deputy refers made an application to the Department for a new school in January 2002. The application was assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 1.1 rating. The second school to which the Deputy refers has not submitted an application for Major Capital Works. The school opened in...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Small Schools' Scheme, which was operated by my Department from 2003 to 2007, was specifically targeted at providing grant aid for the extension and refurbishment of small rural schools. Over the course of the operation of the scheme, a total of â¬177m was spent on almost 400 schools throughout the country, leading to a very welcome improvement in the standard of accommodation...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: As announced in the Budget, a reduction of 5% is being applied to the rates of student grants and scholarships. This reduction is being implemented in respect of all existing and new grant-holders from January 2010. This reduction is broadly in line with reductions in other income maintenance payments including those for the unemployed. The reductions in the rates of student grants were...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: From September 2010, as announced in the Budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance for all schemes, and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses, will be ineligible for student support maintenance grants. The cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met, for eligible students, by the...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware that some students are experiencing delays in the processing of their grant applications and appreciate the individual difficulties this can involve. It is understood that both local authorities and VECs, the awarding bodies for student grants, received an unprecedented number of student grant applications this year with increases in applications up by 30% in some areas. In some...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The supply teacher scheme will cease from the start of the 2010-11 school year. The teachers concerned will be redeployed in accordance with the existing redeployment arrangements to other schools that have vacancies. It is expected that this measure will save â¬400,000 in 2010 and â¬1.1 million in a full year. There are 60 posts allocated to the scheme. A value for money review was...
- Written Answers — Millennium Partnership Fund: Millennium Partnership Fund (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will recall that measures had to be taken in the budget to safeguard the future payment of income supports in the welfare system by reducing the levels of payments. Similarly, the withdrawal of the Millennium Partnership Fund was considered necessary to ensure that the system is not extended beyond what current resources will allow. The Millennium Partnership Fund, introduced by...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers,...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the allocation for 2010 for the special education initiatives subhead reflects the level of expenditure expected under the various initiatives during 2010. The provisional outturn details that the total spend in 2009 on the various initiatives concerned was less than â¬12 million. The allocation for 2010 exceeds â¬12 million.
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The council operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details supplied to...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The total allocation at the beginning of 2009 for capital expenditure in the primary and post-primary sectors, including the allocation available for ICT provision in schools, amounted to almost â¬624 million. The total capital allocation available for schools in 2010 is almost â¬629 million, including the carry forward from 2009. The capital expenditure outturn in the primary sector for...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme funds tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also provides funding for early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism where a...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Pupil-Teacher Ratio in respect of all primary schools is only available at national level - it is not disaggregated by county or by any other variable. Information on pupil-teacher ratios is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The data for the current school year (2009-10) are being compiled by my Department. The final outcome will be available later in the year. The...
- Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: Provisions in relation to school closures are set out in my Department's circulars; 11/95 (for primary schools) and M29/95 (for post-primary schools). In accordance with these circulars, decisions on the need for and duration of exceptional closures rest with individual school authorities. The circulars provide that, in general, a school closure due to unforeseen circumstances should be...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers, is carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department's circular 07/02, are properly met. This is an exercise in...