Results 3,541-3,560 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Institutes of Technology. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new Redundant Apprentice IoT training scheme announced in the supplementary Budget is an initiative to provide an opportunity to redundant apprentices who cannot otherwise secure the job placements required in order to complete their normal apprenticeship programme, to acquire additional certified skills in the education sector. The curriculum for the programme is being developed by...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department awards contracts for the construction of school buildings in line with national and European public procurement regulations. The management of the Apprenticeship Training Scheme is the responsibility of FAS which operates under the aegis of my colleague the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment. It is my understanding that an employer must be approved and...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my intention that the impact of the €30m reduction on the School Building Programme for 2009 will be minimised to the greatest extent possible, through careful management of the budget and taking account of the very keen tender prices to be obtained in the current construction market. With regards to the large scale projects that I have announced to proceed to tender and construction...

Higher Education Grants. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 728 together. As the Deputy is aware, the scale of the economic downturn has made it necessary to adjust funding provisions across all Departments. The adjustments in the recent budget at third level were part of this overall contribution to public expenditure reductions. Such adjustments must be viewed however in the context of overall investments...

School Transport. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Fuel Duty Rebate Scheme (Provisions of Section 99 (1) Finance Act, 1999) allowed for a rebate in respect of the excise duty paid on fuel used by private contractors on delivering school transport services. This scheme which was processed by the Revenue Commissioners, ceased on 31st October 2008 in accordance with the EU Energy Tax Directive. The proposed compensatory allowance had not...

Psychological Service. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The undertaking within the Towards 2016 Agreement of an increase of 100 additional posts related to both the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the budget allocation for NEPS will still allow for the recruitment of up to 50 additional psychologists for the NEPS service by the end of this...

School Staffing. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The duties which may be delegated to post of responsibility holders at primary level are outlined in Department Primary Circular 07/03 (Appendix A). At Post-primary level the relevant circulars are 4/98 Deputy Principal's, 05/98 Voluntary Secondary Schools, 20/98 VECs, 23/98 C&C schools, 46/00 Adult Education and PPT17/02 Programme Co-ordinator. All of the circulars are available on my...

Schools Building Projects. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A letter of intent issued to the main contractor on 9 April 2009, requesting sight of certain important documents and confirmation of a number of other issues. Once all the documentation requested has been received and meets my Department's requirements, a formal letter of acceptance will issue to the Contractor. It is estimated that it will take 12 to 15 months to complete the project,...

School Accommodation. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I assume the Deputy is referring to an application from the school in question for the provision of additional accommodation under the Permanent accommodation Scheme. As part of the expansion of that scheme a grant was sanctioned in 2007 to enable the school authority to build one permanent classroom. An application by the school for further additional funding was received by my Department in...

Departmental Bodies. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy is referring to the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). The new organisation will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities, a function which is currently performed by the Irish...

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: From September 2009, an additional 1,500 Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) places will be made available nationwide. This will bring the total number of approved PLC places to 31,688. The PLC programme provides successful participants with specific vocational skills to enhance their prospects of securing lasting, full-time employment, or progression to other studies. The allocation of these...

School Accommodation. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level for future school years. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and capacity of existing schools to meet...

Special Educational Needs. (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The criteria for allocating resource teaching support for pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Down Syndrome, did not change as part of the recent budget announcements. Primary school pupils with high incidence special educational needs may receive additional teaching support under the terms of the General Allocation System. One of the benefits of the General...

Written Answers — Nursing Education: Nursing Education (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2008 the Department of Health and Children announced a reduction in nursing education requirements, based on demand projections and financial considerations. As a result the number of places on the undergraduate nursing degree programmes was reduced by 310 places, from a total of 1,880 to 1,570. The reduction affected all 13 higher education institutions across the country which provide...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Students who are entering approved courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level for the first time are eligible for maintenance grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions of the relevant scheme including those relating to age, residence, means and nationality. The Grants Schemes contain a 'change in circumstances' clause which provides that a candidate's eligibility may be assessed...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Student Support Bill will provide the Minister with the power to regulate for different classes of applicants. This power would enable me, if there are compelling reasons and adequate resources to do so, to consider extending the circumstances where a student could be assessed without reference to parental income. My Department is currently reviewing the circumstances where a means...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The School Planning and Building Unit of my Department has not been made aware of any proposal to locate a community preschool in the school to which the Deputy refers. In February last, I announced the school in question to enter into architectural design for the construction of a new 16 classroom school on a site to be purchased by the school's Patron. My Department is considering the...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: According to my Department's records there are currently 62 prefabricated buildings being rented by schools in Limerick City and County at a cost of €673,405. A single prefabricated unit can often be made up of more than one classroom and include some ancillary accommodation. Following an analysis of costs by my Department, it is now the policy to purchase rather than rent temporary...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the proposed project for the school to which he refers involves the acquisition of a site. The progression of the project from site acquisition and initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. In light of current competing demands on the capital budget...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is among a number of schools that were judged by an independent identification process in 2005 not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage among their pupils to warrant their inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. A review mechanism was put in place in 2006 to address the concerns...