Results 1,801-1,820 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware the July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. My Department encourages all...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has no proposals at present to site a school in the Farmleigh Estate. The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level for 2009 and onwards. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a Design Team has now been appointed for the school in question and the process of architectural planning has commenced. When the architectural planning process is completed, the progression of the project to tender and construction will be considered in the context of my Department's School Building and modernisation Programme. However, in light of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and the Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes or age groups. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 627 to 629, inclusive, together. The agreement reached with Fingal County Council is intended to fast-track the delivery of schools and community facilities throughout Fingal. Under the terms of the Agreement, Fingal County Council will identify and acquire suitable sites for the Department where schools will be built. In return, the design of the schools on...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I refer the Deputy to the recent Parliamentary Question No. 409 of 8 May 2008 in relation to the acquisition of the aforementioned site. I wish to advise the Deputy that the position remains unchanged since then.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, a Developing Areas Unit has been established in the Department of Education and Science to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas including Dublin 15, where the school to which he refers is located. The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary level in any given area entails consideration...

Written Answers — Schools of Music: Schools of Music (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Institutes of Technology are statutory bodies established under the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Under the terms of these Acts, the governance and day-to-day activities of the Institutes, including student enrolments, are matters for which the Governing Bodies and the Management of the Institutes are responsible. I understand from the Institute, however, that there is no...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department does not hold records on an electoral area basis. However the details sought by the Deputy are included in the following tabular statement of major school building projects in Co. Donegal. Schools are only removed from the School Building and Modernisation Programme where it is demonstrated that a proposed building project is either not required, having regard to the condition...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that while individual institutions in the education sector have varying degrees of autonomy according to their status and statutory provisions, the Minister has an overarching responsibility for education policy across all levels of the education system and responsibility for funding provided from the Education Vote. The principle statutory agencies established under...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received an application for the replacement of windows at the school referred to by the Deputy. This application is currently being assessed and a decision on the matter will be made shortly. The school authorities will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase 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 — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no record in my Department of an application for temporary accommodation from the school in question. Should an application be received it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed Post Primary school for Gorey will be delivered by way of a Public Private Partnership and the school will cater for up to 1,000 pupils. I intend to announce PPP bundles during the year and the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered in this context. The issue of patronage for the proposed post-primary school will be decided in due course.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no record in my Department of an application for temporary accommodation from the school in question. Should an application be received it will be assessed and the school authorities notified of the outcome without delay.

Written Answers — Public Private Partnerships: Public Private Partnerships (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Schools Public Private Partnership Programme of 4 primary and 23 post primary schools was announced in September 2005. These projects are now progressing through procurement with the 1st Bundle of 4 post primary schools likely to commence construction during 2008. The 2nd Bundle of 6 schools which includes Gaelscoil Bheanntrai, a primary school, was advertised in the European Journal...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The two Devolved Schemes, the Small Schools Scheme and the Permanent Accommodation Scheme, were originally introduced on a pilot basis for 38 schools in 2003. Due to the positive feedback from schools, they were extended to cover 699 more schools between the years of 2004 and 2007. The purpose of these devolved schemes are to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (17 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It would not be appropriate in any circumstances to apply to special needs assistants (SNA) the terms and conditions of employment appropriate to teachers. Matters relating to the terms and conditions of SNAs are the subject of collective agreements specific to SNAs reached with the appropriate recognised trade unions and school management representative bodies. No such agreement is in place...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Jun 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 phase 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...