Results 2,681-2,700 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department provides funding to primary and post primary schools towards the purchase of assistive technology for the use of pupils with special educational needs. The scheme is targeted at individual circumstances where pupils have very specific educational needs and the purpose of the grant-aid is to provide the pupils in question with equipment that will be of direct educational...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A deficit of mainstream accommodation is a shortfall in amount of permanent classrooms to accommodate the teachers allocated to the school. In the school to which the Deputy refers the original school consists of 3 permanent classrooms and a small ancillary area. This has been further supplemented with temporary accommodation for the current staffing of principal, 8 mainstream teachers...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy is referring to special needs assistant hours. The Deputy will be aware that 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....

Written Answers — Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme: Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) has been in existence since 1994 and was designed to enhance the vocational dimension of the Leaving Certificate (Established). This two-year programme combines the academic strengths of the Leaving Certificate (Established) with a focus on self-directed learning, enterprise, work and the community which are included in the Link...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: During the passage of the legislation governing the establishment of the Redress Scheme (Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002) through both Houses, the issue of including children who were in foster care was discussed and it was decided not to extend the legislation, as children in foster care were not in a residential institution. However, this statutory redress scheme was an...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Government has had to make difficult choices and take difficult decisions in relation to the public finances. These include decisions aimed at reducing the size of the public service and clearly those decisions impact on the employment opportunities across the public service, including in the education sector.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I approved the project to proceed to seek planning permission in May 2009. I am aware of the trend in building costs in the current market conditions. However, the final budget for this project will not be approved until the stage 2(b) tender...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is operating with provisional recognition from my Department. It is entitled to grant aid for rental for its accommodation, for school transport and for the payment of teacher salaries. Teacher allocations to all second-level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 183 together. The Deputy will be aware that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 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 — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As I advised the Deputy recently, my Department is currently considering an application for additional teaching provision to support a number of traveller children in the school referred to by the Deputy. My officials will convey a decision on the application to the school as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department funds three maintenance grant schemes for third level students which are administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education committees' Scholarship Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project for Coosan National School was included in the bundle of 25 projects I announced in February to commence architectural planning. The project is currently awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. Cornamaddy National School is also at an early stage of architectural planning. This project was not included, however, in my February announcement and therefore, is not part of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191, 205 and 209 together. As the Deputy will be aware, in February, I announced details of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction. The projects at Scoil Ui Fhiaich, Maynooth, Scoil Coca Naofa, Kilcock and Scoil Aine Naofa, Ardclough were all included in this announcement. My Department is currently awaiting the submission of the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together. The tender report for the proposed extension/refurbishment project at the school in question was received in my Department on 30th June. It is currently being assessed by the Professional and Technical Staff of the Building Unit. When this assessment is complete the project will be considered for the construction stage.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In February 2001 my Department received an application for large scale capital funding to provide for an extension to the school referred to by the Deputy. In 2007, my Department wrote to the school management requesting that it complete a standardised Application form (FLE Form) to allow for a review of the school's accommodation needs. To date this form has not been returned to the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2006 the Department received an application for large scale capital funding to provide an additional classroom and improved ancillary accommodation at the school referred to by the Deputy. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Jul 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an application for funding for capital works in 2004. Since then my Department has sanctioned funding to provide for two additional mainstream classrooms and resource facilities at the school. The school has yet to draw down some of this funding. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase will be...