Results 3,881-3,900 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an application for emergency funding from the school in question. This application is currently under consideration and a decision will be reached very shortly. The school authorities will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Denominational Education: Denominational Education (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1030, 1034, 1051 and 1063 together. I wish to reassure the Deputies 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 Deputies may be aware that I met with representatives of the Church of Ireland Board of...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received correspondence from the Diocesan Solicitors dated December 2007 in relation to the surrender of my interest in the school referred to by the Deputy. My Department is progressing this matter and in this regard has recently written to the Diocesan Solicitors to establish the current status of the Trustees. Upon receipt of this confirmation the matter will be...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I assume that the Deputy is referring to my Department's recent decision to close a number of special classes. 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...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1035 and 1036 together. There are no drivers directly employed at my Department to assist me in carrying out my functions. All Government Ministers and some other State officials are provided with a State car which is driven by a member of An Garda Síochána from a pool of Gardaí which are allocated on a full time basis to Ministers. In addition to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the above school 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 current competing demands on the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has written to the primary schools that are projected to have a net loss or gain in classroom teaching posts in September, 2009. As part of my efforts to ensure that relevant information is openly available to the public detailed information on the opening position for primary schools is now published on my Department's website. This provisional list sets out the details on...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1039 and 1074 together. The report in question has not yet been received in my Department. It is expected that this review will be completed in 2009.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, special needs assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to enable them support pupils with disabilities who also have significant care needs. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and SNAs to schools to support children with...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1041, 1042 and 1044 together. The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of applications is contained in the tabular statement below. As a matter of policy, my Department does not provide cost estimates for projects as this might prejudice the tendering process. Further progression of these projects will be considered in the context of my...

Written Answers — Early School Leavers: Early School Leavers (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has adopted a broad-based approach to tackling early school leaving. This includes the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board, under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, to monitor attendance and help to get young people back to school. The general functions of the Board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's total capital expenditure in the primary sector for the years referred to by the deputy was as follows: 2006 — €271,995,679.01 2007 — €398,542,038.54 2008 — €488,753,572.50.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's total capital expenditure in the primary sector for County Mayo for the years referred to by the Deputy was as follows: 2006 — €6,580,851.27 2007 — €8,700,826.49 2008 — €10,287,846.48.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information provided by me on 4th March 2009 is the most accurate up-to-date information available to my Department and is based on returns, as provided by the schools, from a survey of 900 schools in 2007 and subsequently updated in my Department. It should be noted that a single unit documented on the spreadsheet provided earlier does not purport to be one single classroom. It does...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has been aware of a need for further post primary provision in the Dublin 15 area and in that context, I sanctioned the establishment of a new post primary school for the area last year. The new school will be called Luttrellstown Community College and the Patron is County Dublin VEC. My Department is working closely with Co. Dublin VEC to open the new school in September 2009...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As outlined previously, existing education policy is that students up to 18 years of age are admitted to primary and second level schools irrespective of their nationality or status. Indeed, under the Equal Status Act, schools may not discriminate in admission to schools except where this is necessary to maintain the religious values or ethos of the school. While the Act does provide for...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 6153The project to which the Deputy refers was originally tendered in 2007. This project was one of 43 projects I announced on 12 February to go to tender and construction in 2009. For this project to go to construction it now needs to be re-tendered under the new Department of Finance form of contract for public capital projects. The fees applicable to the tender action stage of any school...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 6153I propose to take Questions Nos. 1053 and 1083 together. 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...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: 6153The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides a grant to parents to facilitate the provision of education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting an educational placement and to provide early intervention for pre-school...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Mar 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tabular statement. Applications on hand for major capital works March 2009 County Roll Number School Application for Carlow 01116A Baile An Chuilinn N S Muinebeag (Carlow) New School Carlow 01415K Rathoe NS Rathoe (Carlow) New School Carlow 02124E Scoil Nais Molaise Old Leighlin (Carlow) Extension/Refurb Carlow...