Results 3,561-3,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Access to primary and post primary education is provided for students without requiring information on their parents' tax status and I would not favour putting a procedure in place that required schools to assess the tax status of parents enrolling students in their schools. Access to free undergraduate third level education is available to students who meet certain EU residency criteria....

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to assure the Deputy that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. These special classes which are to close pre-date the 2005 General...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I would like to reassure the Deputy that there will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. These special classes which are to close predate the 2005 General...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 662, 665, 666, 670 and 717 together. The school to which the Deputies refer has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extensive sports hall refurbishment and the replacement of temporary accommodation. The project has been assigned a Band 2.4 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. As the...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority - i.e. the Local Authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 715 together. The position is as outlined to the Deputy on 19 February 2009. When a decision has been taken on the construction model, the school will be advised of the next steps to be taken.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The family referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied were in receipt of a remote area transport grant up to the end of the 2006/07 school year. These grants are paid in respect of eligible pupils where a school transport service is not available. In March 2006, the family was advised by my Department that the transport grant would cease as a service was established to cater for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no record in my Department of the school referred to by the Deputy being in receipt of funding for the rental of prefabricated accommodation. The school should contact the Planning and Building Unit of my Department regarding the provision of a permanent extension.

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is in receipt of a request to surrender my interest in the school referred to by the Deputy. I am advised that the School is owned by the religious and a lease was entered into in 1964 to protect the interest of the State in the property. My Department is agreeable in principle to surrendering my interest as originally sought. Accordingly, my officials instructed the Chief...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, I have given approval in principle for the establishment of a new post-primary school in Kingscourt. An examination of the demographics and projected pupil numbers would indicate that a facility for between 300 and 400 pupil places would be sustainable in the medium term. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. Children who are not eligible may avail of concessionary transport subject to a number of terms and conditions, including the availability of spare...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Given the current trend of an increasing student population and the need to ensure maximum benefit from the financial resources available to me, I have asked my Department to examine the broad issues relating to school recognition at second level. The application from Educate Together to be recognised as a patron body at second level will be looked at in that context. The examination of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, Government investment in Early Years education is taking place through the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth affairs. The recent budget announcement concerning the provision of pre-school places for children in the year prior to their enrolment in primary schools reinforces this commitment. Within my Department, the main interventions to date have been...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 675, 677, 734 and 738 together. The school to which the Deputies refer commenced operation with provisional recognition from my Department in September 2007. It has a current enrolment of 21 pupils. When granting provisional recognition, the school was informed by my Department that the provision of accommodation was the responsibility of the school Patron....

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: An appeal against a decision to refuse sanction to operate PLC courses was received from the school referred to by the Deputy. Following consideration of the appeal, the application was approved on 15 April 2009 and 24 PLC places were sanctioned.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The budget measures will impact on individual schools in different ways depending on whether enrolment is rising or declining and the degree to which any one school has more teachers than it is entitled to under the allocation processes. In terms of the position at individual school level the key factor for determining the level of resources provided by my Department is the pupil enrolment at...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I announced in February last that the building project for the school in question was to proceed to tender and, subject to the necessary technical and financial sanction, to commence construction. The revised tender documents for this project were recently received and are currently being examined by officials from my Department. My Department will be in contact with the VEC shortly in this...

Written Answers — Student Medical Services: Student Medical Services (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The student medical services available to third level students provide access to GP services. Referral to specialist mental health services would be a matter for the GP and the student concerned.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The contract to design, build, finance, maintain the first bundle of 4 post primary schools was signed by the National Development Finance Agency on 6th March 2009. This bundle includes the provision of new accommodation for Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise and St Mary's CBS on a shared campus in Borris Road Portlaoise as well as Coláiste na Sionna, Banagher and Gallen Community School,...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (22 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has entered into three separate contracts to design, build, finance, maintain and operate educational accommodation under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in the last five years. Two third level projects, the National Maritime College Cork completed in 2003 and the Cork School of Music completed in 2007 are now operational. In addition the contract for the first...