Results 1,601-1,620 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that special schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. At that point, the Department of Health and Children/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The income limits for the 2008/09 academic year are currently being examined. It has been my Department's practice in recent years to increase the reckonable income limits under the maintenance grant schemes in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year. In 2007/08 the income limits were increased by 3.5% on that basis.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Programme for Government sets out the overarching policy position in relation to the provision of additional teachers and on reductions in class size over the life of the Government. The Programme contains a commitment to increase the number of primary teachers by at least 4000 and on that basis to make further progress on reducing class sizes. Budget 2008 provided my Department with...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2008)

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 (SENOs), for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special needs supports on the basis of applications in respect of individual pupils. The SENOs operate within the policy outlined in my Department's...

Written Answers — Cyber Bullying: Cyber Bullying (22 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can assure the Deputy that I am aware of the recent survey conducted by the Irish Independent in conjunction with RTE on the issue of "cyber bullying", through the use of the internet and mobile phones. I share the Deputy's concern that any child would feel upset in school because of bullying — be it physical, verbal or what is being termed cyber bullying and I assure him that supports...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: recognises the major improvements that have been made to staffing levels in primary schools over recent years, including: over 2,000 extra teachers being provided in primary schools for 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years; the increase in primary teacher numbers since 2002 of over 6,000 bringing the...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am glad to set out for the House my commitment and that of the Government to the provision of teaching resources to primary schools. This is being done as part of our overall investment in education which has increased significantly in recent years by more than 70% since 2002 to more than €9.3 billion this year. This represents a significant increase of more than €690 million, or 8%,...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: While the schedule allocates on the basis of an average, each individual school decides how to arrange its classes. This means that two different schools with the same enrolment and allocated the same number of teachers may choose to configure their classes differently. Depending on a school's own circumstances one school may aim for an even distribution across all class groups while...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Preliminary indications from my Department's analysis of statistical returns from schools for the current school year appear to indicate a drop in the numbers of pupils in classes of more than 30 pupils.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The analysis of all the returns from schools has yet to be completed and the final outcome will be published later in the summer. Of course it is the case that some schools can have class sizes of greater than 27 but, as I pointed out, this is often because of a local decision by a school to use its teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: When a particular school has a class of more than 30 in a particular grade, it is often because another class in the same school has approximately 20 pupils.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I appreciate that an even distribution and splitting classes may not always be an option for a particular school because it might have a large group in junior infants and a small group in sixth class, but where it is possible, principals should consider the benefits of having smaller multi-grade classes as against having particularly large differences in class sizes at different levels in the...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I respected every speaker on the other side of the House. I did not interrupt and I seek the same respect. We in this House are aware that the mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. In any year, not just this year, when enrolments are falling in a school this can result in the loss of a...

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: If I were to change the staffing schedule to allow the schools due to lose a teacher to retain that teaching post, I would be treating them differently from other schools with the exact same number on the rolls and I do not propose to do that.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: We can validly have a debate on changes that might be made to the overall schedule but I will not enter into the space of political opportunism portrayed by the Opposition by trying to give preferential treatment to some schools for no objective reason.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have a responsibility to ensure that, whatever the overall allocation, the system for allocating teachers to schools is transparent and fair and that everyone knows where he or she stands and each school knows that it will be allocated the same number of mainstream class teachers as the school up the road with a similar enrolment.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The system should not create anomalies or operate on the basis that one or more schools should be treated differently from others because the Opposition thinks political capital can be made.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Any school that believes it is treated unfairly under the schedule has access to an appeals process. The board of management of a school can submit an appeal under certain criteria to this independent appeals board, which was established specifically to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Motion (27 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputies will appreciate that the appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.