Results 2,541-2,560 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Higher education institutions are conscious of the need to develop more flexible modes of learning and my Department is working with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to support the expansion of opportunities in this area. Developmental funding has already been allocated under the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). One key activity funded by the SIF is the Supported Flexible Learning...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department, as a sanctioning agency has an obligation to ensure that, as part of suitability assessment for placing on tender lists for projects, Contractors have adequate economic and financial capacity. One of the key criteria for assessing financial and economic capacity is the average annual turnover of the contracting company over the previous three years. The purpose of this is...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority - i.e. the relevant local authority or Vocational Education Committee. Students should seek information or clarification directly from the relevant assessing authority. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I was appointed Minister for Education and Science on 7 May 2008 and I will provide the information requested from that date. The amount of mobile telephone bills paid in relation to the Departmental mobile telephone assigned to me in 2008 to 31st May 2009 (the latest date for which figures are available) is set out in the following table. I can confirm that the telephone costs refer to...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Jul 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 additional resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to primary and post primary schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Patron of this school has indicated to the Department that he wishes the school to continue while fully acknowledging that the difficulties at the school have to be resolved. I believe these matters must be dealt with in a fair and balanced manner. The Patron and Board of this school are entitled to support in their endeavours to bring about the required improvement and like any other...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Education Act, 1998 does not contain any provision whereby the Minister can replace the patron of a school. Section 11 of the Education Act 1998 provides for withdrawal of recognition of a school where the Minister is satisfied that the requirements for recognition of a school are not being met by a school or that the functions of a school are not being effectively discharged. In...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the newspaper article referred to by the Deputy and I note that the newspaper has asserted that to protect the children's anonymity the school in question is not mentioned in the article. Since late 2006, my Department received a number of allegations against some teachers employed at a school in Kilkenny. My Department is aware from this correspondence that the nature of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department of Education & Science has been an applicant or plaintiff in four cases during the period in question. In two of these cases the Department was a co-applicant with other Government Departments and other public bodies whilst in the two remaining cases the Department was the sole Applicant or Plaintiff. Legal costs incurred by the State, in prosecuting those cases which are...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that my Department has received an application for major capital funding for the provision of an extension for the school referred to by the Deputy. The application has been assessed and has been assigned a band 2.1 rating under the prioritisation criteria for large scale projects. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I attended a number of functions in County Mayo on 22nd April including the launch of Mayo Vocational Education Committee Active Living and Learning Initiative. While visiting with the VEC there in Castlebar I did indeed turn a sod at the site of the proposed Joe Langan Sports Hall at Davitt College. The project was out to tender at the time. My Department recently authorised County Mayo...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is making arrangements to introduce the cycle to work scheme for teachers during the 2009/2010 school year. It is proposed to discuss the terms of the scheme including the procedures involved in applying with union and management representatives in the near future.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 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. The various impacts at...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can now update the Deputy in relation to the publication of teacher allocations to second level schools. My Department is currently finalising the data for publication and I expect that this data will be placed on my Department's website in the coming period. I am conscious that the Deputy has raised this matter previously and I will arrange to have the Deputy notified when the data is...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, this project was included in my announcement in February 2009, of projects which would proceed to tender and construction during 2009. The project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. My Department is currently awaiting the Stage 2b submission. The Local Authority has recently made the Final Grant of planning permission for this project. As there...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 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 (SNAs) to primary and post primary schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support....

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a...

Written Answers — Research Funding: Research Funding (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation (SSTI) is an integrated whole of Government approach that Ireland will be internationally renowned for the excellence of its research and at the forefront in generating and using new knowledge for economic and social progress, within an innovation driven culture. The Higher Education Research Group (HERG) was established under the SSTI to...

Written Answers — Home Tuition Scheme: Home Tuition Scheme (7 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Home tuition was not sanctioned for the child in question as the application did not meet the criteria under the terms of the home tuition scheme. Additional information submitted in support of the application is under consideration by officials in my Department. A decision will be conveyed to the parent as soon as this process is completed.