Results 3,061-3,080 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The three third level student support schemes, administered by the Local Authorities and the Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department, offer financial assistance to eligible students attending approved third-level courses. Financial assistance will continue to be available for individual students through the maintenance grant schemes, the Special Rate of maintenance grant,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Jun 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. In terms of the position at individual primary school level...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The political background to this motion is the outcome of last week's local, European and by-elections, which the Taoiseach acknowledged today produced poor results by Fianna Fáil's standards. It was an especially difficult campaign because we found ourselves in very difficult economic circumstances and the Government has had to take very tough decisions. People are clearly angry about...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Aside from the political instability a general election would cause, it is perhaps worth recalling what might be in store for the Irish people should Fine Gael and Labour form a coalition Government. The Irish people deserve to know how they would reconcile their differences. Fine Gael calls for more spending cuts and a bigger reduction in the deficit than Labour. On the banks, they are...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: -----contrasts sharply with a Fine Gael Dáil motion suggesting a one point increase on both tax rates and a cut in tax credits.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Meanwhile, Labour dodges saying where savings would be made and yet wants to spend more. From where would the tax revenue come? The party would risk putting Ireland at loggerheads with the European Commission and the European Central Bank and frighten financial markets. Labour lectures the Government on the banking system yet it opposed the bank guarantee.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The reality is that Fine Gael and Labour are trying to hoodwink the Irish people with a set of populist con-job policies that would drive the country into deeper recession. They are abusing their positions of responsibility by dodging the tough policy decisions that must be taken to get this country out of severe economic difficulties. In times like these, Ireland does not need fair weather...

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: These are just some of ways in which the dividend of a decade of economic growth was invested in communities across this country. The fact is that no one predicted that Lehman Brothers would crash and that Northern Bank would fall.

Confidence in Government: Motion (9 Jun 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: No one can claim that Ireland, as an open and small economy, should be immune from a 13% fall in world trade or that we could have avoided the impact of the credit crunch arising from a global banking system in crisis and the changes in the exchange rates between sterling and the euro. Greed and gross irresponsibility in some quarters of the private sector make our task today much more...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the terms of the maintenance grant schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment. The decision on eligibility for a higher education grant is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC as appropriate. These bodies do not collect data...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The correspondence submitted by the school referred to the Deputy in support of its appeal is currently being considered by my Department. This process is well advanced and it is expected that a decision will be conveyed to the school shortly.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is on-going liaison between my Department and local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of any major proposed developments and their possible implications for school provision. My Department has made submissions to the Local Area Plan for the area in question, in which the land requirements for additional primary and post-primary provision were outlined, based on...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (28 May 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. In terms of the position at individual primary school...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Commission on School Accommodation published two reports in September 2001; namely the Amalgamation of First Level Schools and Amalgamation of Second Level Schools. These reports present a framework of key issues and recommends detailed models for the amalgamation process together with other recommendations on dealing with amalgamations in the future. The recommendations in the...

Written Answers — Primary School Ownership: Primary School Ownership (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware there are in excess of 3,200 primary schools in the country, most of which are not owned by the State but rather are owned by diocesan trustees of various religions or by religious orders, including the religious orders referred to by the Deputy. These schools are privately owned and as such the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in a...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A Notification of Intention to apply for recognition of a new primary school in the Athy area has been received from the Patron Body for Educate Together. I have recently announced a review of the procedures for the establishment of new primary schools under the Commission on School Accommodation. It is expected that the review of procedures for recognising primary schools will be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that my Department's policy in relation to the retention of pupils in primary schools is set out in Primary Circular 32/03 which issued to all primary schools in December 2003. The primary school curriculum is designed as an eight year course, including a two year infant cycle followed by six years in standards from first to sixth, with children progressing to the next...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In general where a school has demonstrated a need for the provision of additional or replacement prefabricated accommodation grant-aid is provided by my Department on a devolved basis, as in the case of the school referred to by the Deputy. I understand that where planning permission for prefabricated units is required an initial five year period of approval is generally granted by the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (28 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is the candidate's nationality or his/her immigration status in the State that determines whether or not he/she meets the nationality requirement outlined in the student grant schemes. Possession of a 'stamp 4' does not automatically satisfy the nationality requirement of the grant schemes. My Department understands a 'stamp 4' can be awarded to categories of applicants other than...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 May 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 schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. Applications for SNAs...