Results 3,701-3,720 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is currently in discussion with South Dublin County Council regarding suitable site options for the school to which the Deputy refers. The acquisition of a suitable site and the proposed long-term building project for the school will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for the multi-annual school building and modernisation programme. My...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, it is my Department's intention to provide the school in question with a new building. In this regard, agreement has been reached to provide the new building on a VEC-owned site. As the Deputy will also be aware, in February 2009, I announced details of 43 major building projects to proceed to tender and construction and 25 high priority projects to commence...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 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 to construction 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. My Department has been in contact with the school authority in this regard.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the school to which he refers was included in my announcement on 12 February of forty three major school building projects which are to progress to tender and construction this year. Representatives from the board of management and the school's design team attended a briefing in my Department's offices in Tullamore on the 5 March at which they were appraised of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together. The two post primary school projects at the locations in Counties Leitrim and Westmeath referred to by the Deputy are included in the list of seven schools which I have approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre-procurement stage and my Department has...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has a rolling programme of school building and modernisation projects. As is usual with the school building programme, not all of the funds will be contractually committed at the outset of the year, as contracts are only signed with contractors when projects are ready to go on site. However, substantial funding, not strictly defined as contractual commitments at this stage,...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed extension/refurbishment project at the school to which the Deputy refers is at an early stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction, is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under my Department's capital budget. The project...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to the number of building projects planned for new schools which are starting for the first time in September 2009. In this regard, my Department plans to recognise two new post-primary start-up schools in 2009 in the North Dublin area. One of these schools, Ardgillan Community College, Balbriggan, will be accommodated in a new school building...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 meet...

Written Answers — Departmental Committees: Departmental Committees (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently announced a review of the procedures for the establishment of new primary schools. The term of office of the New Schools Advisory Committee (NSAC), which was set up to assess all applications for new primary schools, expired in August, 2008. The terms of reference of the committee were originally drafted in 1998. Given the rapid growth in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers applied to my Department for capital funding for a large scale project which has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria of my Department and assigned a Band rating of 2.1. This project is currently awaiting approval to appoint a design team. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project,...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the current terms of the third level student grant schemes, maintenance grants are not payable to candidates who already hold a qualification and are pursuing a second qualification at the same level. This restriction applies to every student who already holds a qualification at the same level, irrespective of where that qualification was obtained or whether or not funding was...

Written Answers — Official Languages: Official Languages (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 426 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Section 2 of the Official Languages Act 2003 states that "the official languages" of the State are (a) the Irish language (being the national language and the first official language) and (b) the English language (being a second official language) as specified in Article 8 of the Constitution. I wish to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427, 526 and 527 together. I do not accept the assertion by the Deputy that fee-paying Protestant schools are facing closure, either in the short or longer term, as a result of the decision to withdraw the school services support grant in last October's budget. I have met with representatives of both the Church of Ireland Board of Education and the Grand...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for an extension project which includes accommodation for a special needs unit. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 1 rating which is the highest Band rating possible. The progression of all...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers commenced operation in September 2002 with provisional recognition from my Department on the basis that it would be providing multi-denominational education in the Clontarf/Marino/Fairview area of Dublin. Its current location in Glasnevin, which already has provision for multi-denominational education, was intended to be a purely temporary measure. It is...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Two companies provide the full-time services of individuals to my Department. The companies are Bearing Point and Version 1, each of which supplies the services of two full-time individuals to provide software development resources as required by my Department. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible with the relevant information in respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. The Deputy will also be aware that there has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (31 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. Where a school refuses to enrol a pupil, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to either the relevant Vocational...