Results 3,761-3,780 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Contracts for school building projects (and indeed all public works building contracts) comply with either the GDLA-1982 form of contract or the new Department of Finance form of contract for public capital projects. My Department has no authority to change the terms of these contracts. In general all sub-contractors employed on school building projects are employed directly by the Main...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 74 together. In light of the Budget 2009 decision my Department has now published a circular for schools which sets out how the new arrangements will operate for the allocation of language support teachers from September 2009. The circular sets out a structured and transparent approach for the operation of the alleviation measures that were announced...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project at the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: All places in higher education institutions for the academic year 2009/2010 are open to unemployed persons and information on all third level education options are being made available to local FÁS offices who provide referral services for unemployed persons under the National Employment Action Plan. Unemployed persons who qualify for the Department of Social and Family Affairs Back to...

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: This issue relates to the impact of providing an immersion model of education in Irish medium schools under which no English is taught for a significant part of the infant cycle. There are a range of studies which highlight the effectiveness of immersion approaches to language learning. However, the precise models of immersion in use, whether this applied to the exclusion of other...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have consistently said that the 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared, and I acknowledge the...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Substance Misuse Prevention Programme (Walk Tall) support service is available to all primary and special schools in all Local Drugs Task Force Areas and has been also offered to DEIS schools. Along with all other areas of expenditure, provision will be subject to ongoing review in the context of expenditure management. The Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) support service...

Written Answers — Student Councils: Student Councils (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A meeting with representatives of the students' council (or a representative group of students where no students' council exists in a school) is one of the techniques that inspectors use when evaluating the work of post-primary schools. Inspectors make every effort to conduct this meeting in a relaxed, informal manner so as to put students at ease and allow them to talk openly about their...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the process to develop a new national strategy for higher education is now underway which is being overseen by a high level steering group, chaired by economist Dr Colin Hunt and comprising national and international expertise including academic, business, community and student interests, as well as senior government officials. It is expected that the group will...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Student Support Bill, which was published in February 2008 provides the legislative framework for the reform of the administration of student grants and the amalgamation of the existing four student grant schemes into a single unified scheme which will be provided for by way of regulation. The Bill is part of an overall programme of legislative and administrative reform, which will...

Written Answers — Property Transfers: Property Transfers (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy in the first instance that the property in question was not transferred from my Department to the Health Service Executive but was transferred directly from the religious order in question to the HSE under the terms of the Indemnity Agreement. I can tell you that the property in question is 28 The Woodlands, Celbridge, Co. Kildare. While my Department was not...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, in early February I announced the process to develop a new national strategy for higher education, which will examine how well Ireland's higher education system is performing, how it ranks internationally, how well existing resources are being used and how the system can be re-configured to best meet the many challenges it faces over the next decade having regard to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The survey of over 900 schools was primarily carried out to consolidate information already available on individual files in order to set up a database of rented accommodation. It also obtained information on purchased prefabricated units in those schools. Arrangements are being made to conduct a survey of accommodation at primary and post-primary level and this will establish the position...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension and refurbishment project. The project was announced for the appointment of a Design Team in April 2007. Unfortunately, the funding has not been available to date to enable this. The project will be considered for progression in the context of the School Building and...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Mar 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 — School Patronage: School Patronage (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The primary statutory responsibility for child protection lies with the Health Services Executive. The role of my Department is to provide guidance and support to schools in implementing child protection policy and to refer any allegations received to the appropriate authorities for investigation. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has issued child protection guidelines and...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (25 Mar 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 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The key factor for determining the level of mainstream teacher resources provided by my Department to primary schools for the 2008/10 school year is the pupil enrolment at 30 September 2008. There were 11 pupils in the school referred to by the Deputy on 30 September, 2008 which under the appointment and retention procedures entitles the school to one Principal teacher. The school had 16...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (25 Mar 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 the Department's capital budget. The project...

Written Answers — Education Grants: Education Grants (25 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to reassure the Deputy that I, along with my colleagues in Government, recognise the importance of ensuring that students from a Protestant background can attend a school that reflects their denominational ethos. The Deputy may be aware that I met with representatives of the Church of Ireland Board of Education, led by Archbishop John Neill, on 13 November last. The meeting provided...