Results 2,301-2,320 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that a number of amendments to the Student Support Bill in relation to legal and policy issues which have arisen since Second Stage are being advanced by my Department in close consultation with the Office of the Attorney General. The Bill makes provision for the transfer of responsibility for student grants to the VEC sector. In the existing budgetary situation,...

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is agreeable in principle to the request to divest the property referred to by the Deputy. My officials will in the coming days write to the Diocesan Solicitors seeking updated Trustee details. Upon receipt of this information the matter will be progressed further by my Department.

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Apart from the maintenance grants scheme and the free fees initiative, financial support is also available to students, in approved third level institutions, through the Student Assistance Fund. The objective of the Fund, is to assist students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The postgraduate programme referred to by the Deputy is not one of the approved courses under the Labour Market Activisation initiative. Places under this initiative were awarded following a competitive Call for Proposals issued by the HEA to the publicly funded third level institutions in June to provide 1,000 part-time postgraduate places in areas identified by the Expert Group on Future...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Council for Special Education has confirmed to my officials that it will issue a response to the correspondence in question during the coming week.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (23 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The postgraduate diploma in primary education is currently provided by four state-funded Colleges of Education. The issue of providing such courses in the coming year is currently being considered in the context of likely demands in the system and the resources available. A decision on the matter will be communicated to the relevant colleges as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Sep 2009)

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 allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. All schools have the names and...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 352, 358 and 359 together. I will arrange to send a copy of the report in question to the Deputy. My Department's licence for parts of the inventory software has lapsed and it does not intend renewing this as the data gathered in relation to the condition of the school buildings has relevance for a relatively short number of years. However, floor layout...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the first phase of a new post-primary school building with accommodation for up to 350 pupils has been completed and is in operation. The building's flexible design allowed for the opportunity to provide sufficient accommodation for a new start-up primary school as part of the first phase. This accommodation is available for use as a new primary school in 2010 if the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 356 together. The Department's unified data model is based on three core entities, namely Educational Organisation, Pupil and Staff Member. The Educational Organisation aspect of the model has been implemented and went live in February, 2007. Essentially, the implementation facilitates the recording and maintenance of school details, such as address,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the Central Statistics Office, the General Register Office and the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The progression of school building projects, whether to commence architectural planning or to proceed to tender and construction, is undertaken with regard to the availability of funding and the priority attaching to projects. Priority is established primarily on the basis of a projects' band-rating in accordance with the Criteria for Prioritising Large Scale Projects, details of which are...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware a project to provide an Additional Classroom, a PE hall and Ancillary accommodation was completed in August 2005, at the school to which he refers. The school have recently submitted an application for additional temporary accommodation. The application and subsequent appeal submitted by the school was assessed with reference to the current accommodation, staffing...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 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 an appropriate band rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The schools approved funding for the purchase of prefabricated classroom(s)/construction of permanent classroom(s) in 2008 and 2009 are listed in the tabular statement. The list indicates which schools have opted to provide permanent accommodation for the same funding. The Deputy will note that a number of schools have not yet indicated to my Department which option they intend to pursue....

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department grant aids school authorities for appropriate costs associated with rental of temporary accommodation, where such accommodation has been approved by my Department. Payment of the annual rental cost, upon receipt in my Department of the necessary supporting documentation, is generally made to schools in advance and in two instalments, i.e. January - June and July - December...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 to 366, inclusive, together. The project for the school to which the Deputy refers was included in my announcement in February 2009 of projects to proceed to tender and construction. A stage 2B submission has been received by my Department and is currently being considered. A contract notice seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been requested by my Department to arrange for its Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) to review special needs assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts are properly met. The review is currently under way and it is...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child in a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of the school concerned. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment in schools. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Sep 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy was included in my announcement in February 2009 of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction. The project is currently at Stage 2b (Detailed Design). The Design Team's Stage 2b submission has been examined by my Department and a number of issues have been raised. The Board of Management and Design Team have...