Results 2,101-2,120 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received an appeal from the candidate referred to by the Deputy which is currently under review and it is anticipated a reply will issue to the student shortly. It is open to unemployed people to apply for places on further and higher education programmes. In addition, since the beginning of the year the Government has launched a number of new initiatives to support...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (14 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The target group of "those most in need" was defined in terms of the dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the necessary conditions are fulfilled. To qualify for the Special...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 474 together. Almost €5.4m has now been provided to the schools approved in 2009 for funding for the purchase of prefabricated classroom(s)/construction of permanent classroom(s). €1.07m of this related to schools providing permanent rooms. The balance was paid out in relation to prefabricated rooms. The total estimated cost of approvals to date in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2009)

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 is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The grant referred to by the Deputy is determined and administered by Fáilte Ireland. The courses in question were never eligible under the means-tested maintenance grant scheme of my Department. I understand that discussions are currently ongoing between Fáilte Ireland, Institutes of Technology Ireland and the Higher Education Authority in relation to the future management and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the third level student grant schemes grants may not be paid in respect of a repeat period of study except in certain circumstances relating to courses at level 6 or 7. There is provision for a change of mind under the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees which provides grants for attendance at level 6 Higher Certificate courses - Middle Level Technician Programme and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 478 and 479 together. I am taking it that by non-core pay the Deputy is referring to payments that are discretionary in nature and not determined pay arrangements for the grade or appointment in question. Non-core pay in respect of staff in my Department amounted to €1,438,343 in 2008, of which €1,181,914 was represented by overtime payments. Non-core pay...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions 480 and 481 together. As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can inform the Deputy that the National Educational Psychological Service was established within my Department in 1999 and the table sets out the annual budgetary allocation and actual expenditure for and the number of psychologists employed by (as of October of each year) the service since its establishment. I can inform the Deputy that my Department and the Public Appointments Service...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new post primary school project for Gorey, County Wexford is one of the eight schools which I approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre procurement stage. Detailed output specifications and Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) are being prepared and outline planning applications have been submitted to the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 485 together. Under the terms of my Department's student grant and free fees schemes, students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants and free tuition fees where they satisfy the prescribed conditions of the individual schemes including those relating to progression. In general students who previously pursued a...

Written Answers — School Staffing : School Staffing (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The selection of teachers for appointment to state funded teaching positions is a matter for the employing school authority, which must take account of all appropriate legislation and Department circulars. My Department has no role in the selection process.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs (SEN). In particular, its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) co-ordinate special needs education provision at local level and arrange for the delivery of special educational services....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2009)

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 is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be considered...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has been liaising closely with the local authority referred to by the Deputy and on 12th October 2009 received the submission requesting funds. The submission is been prioritised to ensure that the relevant payment will issued without delay.

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Summer Works Scheme (SWS) was introduced in 2004 to provide capital grants for smaller-scale improvements works for both primary and post primary schools. Since then, thousands of projects have been completed in schools - such as gas, electrical and mechanical works, roof replacements and repairs, windows replacement, toilet upgrades, structural improvements and access works. It is my...

Written Answers — Insurance Cover: Insurance Cover (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: At primary level, The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure requires each board of a primary school to put in place comprehensive insurance cover to safeguard the school, the Board and the Trustees. At second level, in the case of schools other than Community or Comprehensive Schools, it is the responsibility of the individual school authority to put in place insurance cover. Claims...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Ireland has not ratified the UNESCO 1989 Convention on Technical and Vocational Education, and has no plans to do so. There are only 17 parties to the Convention to date, out of 193 UNESCO Member States, mostly in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Only two EU Member States, Bulgaria and Lithuania, have ratified the Convention and this occurred in the early 1990s, prior to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are 3 schools concerned in the Deputy's question, 2 primary schools and 1 post primary school. The first primary school was one of ten projects announced in January 2009 to be re-tendered. In order to prepare for tender and to comply with the new form of Government contract, the school was required to submit a new Stage 2b (detailed design). Following the receipt and clearance of the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (13 Oct 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...