Results 3,821-3,840 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 39 together. The estimated rental cost for temporary accommodation for primary and post-primary schools in 2009 will be approximately â¬48 million. The rental of accommodation relates not only to prefabricated accommodation, but also to a number of permanent buildings which are used as schools. I have asked my Department to compile a list as...
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I was not long in this office before Deputy Quinn first brought this matter to my attention and I was concerned at the level of funding being allocated to that particular area. I was of the view that it needed to be restructured and reviewed. I am doing precisely what Deputy Hayes is asking me to do. This group of experts is in contact with the 26 suppliers and looking at the length of...
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: There are two issues here. The cost of temporary accommodation has actually come down. It is now less than â¬100,000, when four or five months ago it was over â¬120,000.
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: That is for new accommodation, and it is falling further. I agree with the Deputy and I am looking for better value for money. Regarding the expert group, I want to get full control of this so that I can have a total assessment of what exactly we can do. The consultants are experts in the field and will be looking for the precise value for money the Deputy is seeking. I want to let them...
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I do not know this, and I would prefer to give the Deputy accurate information on the name of the company as well as the costs involved. The Deputy asked me about the purchase and getting a proper pricing structure. I am already doing that. There has been a significant reduction in the price. We are now forcing everyââ
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: In the purchase. We will purchase anything we have for over three years rather than rent. That is a complete reversal of the policy we had.
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: We are getting value for money and are negotiating the prices downwards. The figure has gone from â¬120 million to under â¬100 million and I hope it will continue to fall. I accept the criticism made. Something happened in the past and a series of rentals developed. It is important for me to get an aggregate and an appropriate response to see the extent of the rental and the cost and how...
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I take issue with that because we are seeing significant reductions already.
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy must understand boards of management are there on a voluntary basis. This practice of rented accommodation has built up over the years. Boards of management did not say to companies they had been paying rent for a certain number of years and that they should be in full ownership now.
- School Accommodation. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: Once and for all, I am putting a structure in place so that, into the future, those we rent for a significant amount of time will come into our ownership, that we cease paying rent and that we get much better value for money. By the end of the year, I will have a comprehensive programme in place which will save the type of significant funds about which the Deputy spoke.
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The issue of the re-introduction of third level fees, to which the Deputy refers, should be viewed in the context of the wider funding of higher education. The Government is investing unprecedented levels of public funding in higher education. In 2008 some â¬2 billion was invested in our higher education sector. In contributing to the achievement of national policy goals for social and...
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I have no specific date for brining the matter to Cabinet.
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I will bring it very shortly. I want to finalise a number of issues regarding the finality of the report and I will put it before my Cabinet colleagues as soon as it is completed. That is the answer to the Deputy's question. Regarding this matter, the Cabinet asked me to furnish it with a report on student commitment, which will look at fees, loans, a combination of the two, means testing...
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: No, I am not. I am not spinning it at all. In fact, I have not discussed the matter with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Lenihan at all yet, in any detail, so there could not be any open warfare between the two of us. My job is to provide the report for Government and then let it take a decision on when or if any fees or a combination of loans and fees should be introduced. I have...
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am glad to see there is a divide between Deputy Hayes' party and the Labour Party.
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: I will clarify the last section of the Deputy's contribution because what he said is not what I actually said. On the "Morning Ireland" radio programme I said that certain people in universities were receiving a salary which was on a par with Secretarys General and that they should follow the example set by Secretarys General in terms of pay. That is exactly what I said. There is also a...
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: That is the information I received from members of the Committee of Public Accounts. As the Deputy is aware, I cannot interfere with the Comptroller and Auditor General, he is absolutely independent. However, my information is that an audit on value for money is near completion.
- Third Level Fees. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: This is where I disagree fundamentally with Deputy Hayes. The State is currently investing â¬2 billion in the third level sector, an increase of 33.3% over the last four years. The Exchequer is paying some â¬350 million by way of fees to the third level sector. This is a fundamental policy issue which will have to be decided on by the Government. It is for this reason that I have...
- Capitation Grants. (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 entirely spared. The changes made in...
- Capitation Grants. (25 Mar 2009)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy has raised several issues. The Comptroller and Auditor General indicated clearly that any supports we provide should be targeted at students in disadvantaged areas. Therefore, I have ensured that funding is targeted at DEIS schools. Deputy O'Mahony did not refer to the increase in the capitation grant this year. It is true that some grants have been withdrawn but the reality is...