Results 3,681-3,700 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that no staff in my Department with less than two years service on 1 March, 2009, gave notice to terminate their employment before 1 April, 2009, under Section 5 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, 2009.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is one of 10 projects announced in January to be re-tendered with a view to going on site as soon as possible. For this project to go to construction it needs to be re-tendered under the new Department of Finance form of contract for public capital projects. The project will be pre-qualified in the coming weeks on www.e-tenders.gov.ie for expressions...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Representatives from the board of management and the design team of the school to which the Deputy refers attended a briefing in my Department's offices in Tullamore on 26 March at which they were appraised of the next steps necessary to progress the project for the construction of a new 16 classroom school to tender and construction.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A revised second-level mathematics curriculum is being introduced on a phased basis. This developmental initiative, Project Maths, is being directed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Science and the State Examinations Commission. Five revised syllabus 'strands' will be introduced over a three-year period, and this...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 398 together. The State Examinations Commission is charged with operating the certificate examinations to the highest standards of openness, fairness and accountability. In doing so, the Commission provides for the establishment of examination centres in both publicly funded schools and in the private sector. In addition, individual candidates are...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the correspondence received in my Department from the school referred to by the Deputy. 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. My Department has written to the primary schools that...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible full-time undergraduate students including such persons, as referred to by the Deputy, once they meet the criteria of the Initiative. The main conditions are that students must be first-time undergraduates and hold EU nationality and have been ordinarily resident in an EU Member State for at least three of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought is not readily available. I have requested officials of my Department to compile the information available and this will be forwarded to you as soon as possible.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of refurbishing the room in the school referred to by the Deputy arose from High Court proceedings in 2006 relating to suitable education provision for the child in question. An independent expert's report identified the school as the most suitable location for this child. The school were willing to accept the child but required works to be carried out to the school building to...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware a key focus and priority of my Department is to provide for resources in schools to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia. For mainstream primary schools, this is done through the General Allocation Model. This model was introduced in September 2005 and ensures that mainstream primary schools have the additional teaching...

Written Answers — Student Support Schemes: Student Support Schemes (2 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Third Level Student Support Schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration (pursued in a university or a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds) in other EU Member States with effect from the 1996/97 academic year. The extension...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (2 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Tax relief was provided in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 where an employer provides a bicycle for an employee. The implementation of the scheme for the Civil Service is being dealt with by the Department of Finance. I understand that implementing the scheme in the Civil Service has given rise to a number of issues, particularly in relation to procurement, warranty and insurance. The...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Payment issued on 26 March 2009 to Mayo County Council in respect of the second recoupment for the Higher Education Grant.

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials from my Department's Regional Office Service met with a representative of the organisation referred to by the Deputy in January, 2005. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the scope for that organisation and the state to co-operate on jointly-funded projects targeting children and youth in disadvantaged areas of Dublin, primarily Ballymun. Currently, my Department is...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations, making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination and issuing the results of examinations. I have made enquiries with the Commission in relation to this matter and the current procedure is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: At the outset I wish to clarify 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 — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Teaching Council Act 2001 provided for the Teaching Council to be funded by my Department for 2 years after the establishment day, which was 28th March 2006. The funding provided by my Department is set out below. 2006 €2.991m; 2007 €3.082m; 2008 €0.849m. The Teaching Council became a self-funding body from 28 March 2008. The Council raises its funding from, in the main part,...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has introduced a number of measures in recent years aimed at easing the administrative workload of schools. School principals, in particular, play a key role in the successful operation of schools and specific initiatives have been introduced that give more time for school principals to concentrate on the management aspects of their role. The scheme of release time enables...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is not actively pursuing a site for the school in question.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of the Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level for 2009 and onwards. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and capacity of existing schools to...