Results 2,381-2,400 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos 1043 to 1067, inclusive, together. The Statistics section of my Department's website now contains class size data at individual school level for the 2006\2007 and 2007\2008 school years. The information includes the number of pupils in each class, the number of pupils in each class size range and the number of teachers in each school. The details for the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1068 to 1081, inclusive, together. The Statistics section of my Department's website now contains class size data at individual school level for the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 school years. The information includes the number of pupils in each class, the number of pupils in each class size range and the number of teachers in each school. The details for the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1082 to 1097, inclusive, together. Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1098 to 1122, inclusive, together. Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1123 to 1132, inclusive, together. Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy is referring solely to progress on the commitment in the Programme for Government in relation to the centres in the pilot scheme. I am pleased to advise that broad agreement has been reached on the core conditions to enable the centres to be recognised as special schools. Applications have now been received for special school recognition as well as...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1134 and 1148 together. Information in relation to average class size and pupil teacher ratio is provided in the annual census of primary schools. The details for the current school year (2008/2009) are currently being compiled by my Department and the final outcome will be available later in the summer. The Deputy may be interested to know that the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In accordance with the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools, all second-level schools should provide Physical Education as part of the curriculum. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on my Department's approved syllabuses and the teaching hours should be registered in the school timetable. The syllabuses have been developed on the basis of a time...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: To date, 13 applications have been received from staff of my Department to retire under Circular 12/09: Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement. The closing date for this scheme is 1 September, 2009. In addition, 24 applications for career breaks have been received from staff of this Department under Circular 13/09: Special Civil Service Incentive Career Break Scheme 2009, by the closing...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is the intention of my Department to provide the school to which the Deputy refers with a new building. In this regard, agreement has been reached to provide the new building on a V.E.C. owned site. The progression of all large scale building projects, including the project in question, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to assure the Deputy that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. All primary schools were allocated additional teaching resources...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1139 and 1145 together. Circular 40/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding for primary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided this year for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The tabular statement provides the list of current major building projects in County Donegal requested by the Deputy. Expected completion dates are provided for those projects which are currently on site and for which contracts have been placed. However, for the remaining projects, until a contract is in place, it is not possible to provide a definitive timescale for their completion. ...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1141 to 1144, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials from my Department recently visited the estate referred to by the Deputy and met with representatives from the Institute to discuss the proposed relocation and associated matters arising including the potential benefits for the surrounding area. All matters discussed at the meeting remain under consideration within my Department.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 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 for a new school project. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a band rating of 1.1. Following a site examination it was established that additional...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am committed to providing information in relation to the allocation of teachers to schools and as a new feature on my Department's website. The process has begun with the provision earlier this year of initial information on the allocation of mainstream classroom teachers to primary schools under the revised schedule for 2009/10. To be clear there is no doubt that the budget measures...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The number of unqualified teachers on a regular contract of employment in June 2009 within the post primary sector is 53 and 377 within the Primary sector. Schools may have to employ unqualified casual / non-casual teachers where it is not possible to obtain a trained substitute teacher for short term absences.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the total number of whole-time equivalent Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) employed in Primary schools in June 2008 was 8375 and in June 2009 was 8582. The total number of whole-time equivalent SNAs employed in Post Primary schools in June 2008 was 1826 and in June 2009 was 2014. My Department is not in a position to provide the information in relation to the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have consistently said that the 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. This obviously impacted on...