Results 2,021-2,040 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Programme for Government: Programme for Government (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will appreciate that while some costs in the Renewed Programme for Government can be identified with a degree of certainty the costs of other elements will depend on their precise implementation. The specific education measures include a commitment to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio for the lifetime of the Government, 500 teaching posts over the next three years,...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The renewed Programme for Government commits the Government to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government. Under the revised programme we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. These posts will be allocated to the schools that are most seriously affected by the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the expenditure adjustments made to the Education Vote in the context of Budget 2009 (October 2008) and the 2009 Supplementary Budget (April, 2009) were made available at that time. Attached for your information are copies of the documents that issued. The renewed Programme for Government provides for a number of specific measures in the education sector including a commitment to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. The Government took these decisions to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education expenditure,while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. I fully accept that while these...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 661 and 662 together. Pupil Teacher Ratio in respect of all schools is currently only available at national level and is not disaggregated by school or any other variable. The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains information relating to class size in primary schools for the school years 2006/07 to 2008/09. The primary census for the current...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that construction has commenced at the school in question and it is expected that the construction work will be completed in late 2010.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Oct 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 a Band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 665 to 677, inclusive, together. The renewed Programme for Government commits the Government to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio in primary and second level schools for the lifetime of this Government. It also states that we will provide 500 teaching posts between primary and second levels over the next three years. My Department proposes to...
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 117 and 154 together. My Department's total budget in 2009 for primary, post-primary and third level capital is â¬841 million. Of this, just under â¬614 million is in respect of primary and post-primary schools and just under â¬200 million is in respect of the third level sector. In respect of third level sector capital, at the end of September a...
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Before responding to Deputy Hayes, I apologise to Deputy Quinn for providing him with an incorrect figure. To clarify, there are 151, not 159, additional classrooms. I understand the number of existing applications to the schools building programme is in the region of 1,200. I will get the precise figure for Deputy Hayes in due course. Regarding the diversion of funding, it should be noted...
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: There are four.
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The current capital programme is the second largest ever to be rolled out in the State. The money that has been set aside will be spent on capital projects throughout the country. As I outlined in my reply, a new form of public works contract is now in place which places an onus on the builder to assume a greater degree of the risk associated with particular projects. As they familiarise...
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I understood that we put these projects on the website and that we had given them a band rating, so it was there for anybody to check them out. If that is not the case, I will check when I go back to my office.
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I take it the Deputy was referring to Gaelscoil Barra in his first question. That school has released a CD about the issue. I cannot build a school when its board has not acquired a site. Negotiations are ongoing with the GAA. I understand that a close affinity exists between the school and the GAA. If we can get agreement from the GAA, then I want to buy the site. Until such time as...
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am not aware of any difficulty with architects' fees, but I will check it out for the Deputy.
- Schools Building Projects. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: There will be a major building programme next year. I expect that my capital programme will be very extensive, but I cannot say exactly how extensive because we have not completed the Estimates. I am satisfied that I will get very good value and that I will continue to build more and more schools and classrooms. We have geophysical information on where there will be greatest need for...
- Programme for Government. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The revised programme for Government provides for a number of specific measures in the education sector, including a commitment to no further increase in the pupil-teacher ratio for the lifetime of the Government; 500 teaching posts over the next three years; funding for 28 additional psychologist posts; standard capitation grants to schools being maintained and an extra allocation being made...
- Programme for Government. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The first thing is that we must understand to what the registration fee refers. It refers to the services delivered by the universities and institutes of education to students. The Government decided last year that the universities and institutes could charge up to â¬1,500 per student on the basis that they were delivering that level of service. Until then it was felt that the full cost...
- Programme for Government. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy asked me-----
- Programme for Government. (20 Oct 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I needed, first, to outline for the Deputy what the registration fee was about because, judging from the numerous statements and press releases the Deputy issues from time to time, he seems not to understand its purpose.