Results 3,261-3,280 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (14 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, 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 may be...

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Strangely, it is not. It is a separate entity so the Deputy is on his own.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Grangegorman Development Agency was established in May 2006. Since its establishment the agency has worked on the preparation of a strategic plan and budget for the proposed development of the Grangegorman site. The strategic plan is required in order to inform the Government of the options and the associated costs of moving the Dublin Institute of Technology campus to the Grangegorman...

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Yes, I will do that in the coming days.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Obviously, the rationalisation of the various entities of DIT is desirable. The Deputy might be interested to know that the most recent proposal outlines the overall cost to deliver all of the elements of DIT and HSE services on the Grangegorman site at €1.4 billion, so it is a sizeable bill.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The first tranche is to cost €610 million, which will be part funded from the sale of the DIT properties and from the HSE capital budget. A total of €195 million is being sought from the Department in capital funding. The second tranche is to be provided if and when required and the total cost of that second tranche is estimated at €848 million, the majority of which is to be...

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: We got the revised plan and estimates in March 2009 and they are with the Department at present. As the Deputy knows, a report will be made to Government arising from that. The Taoiseach will also visit the site. We want to be fully informed so the Cabinet can make an appropriate decision.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is fair to say we are considering all sources of funding. If the new infrastructural fund comes into being, we would look at that as being an area which could be used appropriately in regard to funding developments such as this.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will certainly visit the site to see the overall strategic plan and to be as informed as I can be in order to ensure whatever recommendations I make to Cabinet are based on full background information.

Grangegorman Development Agency. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I do not want to be tied to a time limit. I will visit the site within the next couple of weeks and will then discuss the strategic plan with my officials and the costs involved. It is a good time to be involved in construction and it is the desire of Government to put strategic projects in place so that we can sustain and increase construction jobs. We will examine the feasibility of the...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 14, 19, 28, 32 and 34 together. As the Deputies will be aware, I am currently finalising a review of policy options relating to the introduction of a form of student contribution. There are many complex and competing considerations involved. These include considerations relating to institutional funding, family affordability, equity, participation and...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the matter of delaying the publication of the report until after the local elections, I have indicated clearly that it would be more appropriate and political for me to make the announcement beforehand, because that would allay all of the fears of those on middle incomes and let them know this would not affect them in any way.

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is to the advantage of the Opposition that I am not making the report available. With regard to Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question on bringing the report to the House, I have been charged by the Cabinet to make a report to it. My first report, therefore, will be to the Cabinet. It will then be a matter for Cabinet to adopt the proposals or otherwise. I will make the report available to the...

Third Level Funding. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: On the question of those who enter third level in 2009, I said the opposite. I said there would be no change for anybody going into third level in 2009. The reason for that was they had applied to the CAO, understood exactly what they had to pay and what their commitments would be. However, I clearly indicated that if the Government takes a decision to introduce either loans or fees for...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Senior officials of my Department met with the patron in question in late 2007 to discuss statements he had made on the patronage of primary schools. At that meeting, the patron indicated that he had no specific locations in mind where one or more schools under his patronage might transfer to another patron but that it might arise at some point in the future. They discussed the different...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There may be a misunderstanding. As the Deputy is aware, I put in place a moratorium soon after taking office in respect of existing schools and the patronage of new schools.

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Yes, to new schools. As part of the moratorium, we stated that where new schools were required, the technical group working at my Department would proceed because the school population is growing. It was agreed that the group would contact all patrons. For 2009 we are able to accommodate all requirements by adding extensions to schools and so on. In 2010 and 2011 there will be a serious...

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will understand there is difference between primary and second level in terms of patronage. I have sought legal advice to establish exactly which powers are available to me under the Education Acts.

Schools Patronage. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am not certain of that yet; we hope the legal information will be with us within a short period. However, there is a serious difference in terms of the scale of development. It is very easy to build a primary school, but for a second level school one must consider the scale of the development, the range of the curriculum and subject choice. A given second level school must have an...

Legal Costs. (14 May 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: This case was handled by the State Claims Agency on behalf of the State. There had to be a court hearing in respect of costs as the plaintiff sought costs against the State. It is normal for the State Claims Agency to seek costs where the State's case is upheld, which was the case in this instance. The State was not found liable by the High Court or the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was...