Results 4,441-4,460 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department requested the OPW to locate a site for the school referred to by the Deputy. The OPW reported back to my Department in February 2008 indicating only one proposal was received in the Glasnevin area which was considered unsuitable. The further progression of the acquisition of a site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the schools in Co. Mayo renting temporary accommodation are given in the following tabular statement. The average annual rental cost per unit in 2007 was €8127. This information was compiled following a survey of schools regarding their use of temporary accommodation. The Deputy will be aware that demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department's legislative priorities are as outlined in the Government Legislation Programme, which was published by the Chief Whip's Office prior to the commencement of the Spring parliamentary session. The Department of Education & Science has 3 Bills listed in Section C of the programme, namely the George Mitchell Scholarship Fund Act 1998 (Amendment) Bill 2009, the Education...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested is not readily available in my Department and is currently being compiled. I will arrange to forward the information to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The career break and job sharing schemes have not been withdrawn and there have been no recent amendments to these schemes. The decision to approve an application under either of these schemes is a matter for the authorities of the employing school.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for a new school building. Progress on this project 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 Department's capital budget, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for the...

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (4 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which she refers has made a proposal to my Department in relation to the provision of sports facilities. The Planning and Building Unit of my Department will be in contact with the school authority shortly in relation to this proposal.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project 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 phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The precise level of additional support, if any, for the child in question would be determined by the SENO and...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no record in my Department of a further application for funding under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) from the school in question. Applications under the 2005, 2006 and 2007 schemes were approved for the school. It is my intention to have a Summer Works Scheme in 2009. The details of the operation of the scheme and the level of funding to be made available are currently being considered.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2009)

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

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: A project to provide a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers is in the early stages of architectural planning. In this regard, a revised stage 2A submission (Developed Sketch Scheme) has been received in my Department and is currently being examined. The further progression of this project, in common with all large scale projects, will be considered in the context of my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Officials of my Department recently met with representatives of the School to which the Deputy refers and agreed to progress the design of the proposed project. The Department is currently considering the most appropriate method of procurement of this project and will be in contact shortly with the school authorities in this regard. Progression of the project will be considered in the context...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Office of Public Works (OPW) which acts generally on behalf of the Department to acquire sites for schools was asked to source a site for the school in question. On foot of advertisements a number of proposals were received and a technical assessment of the proposed sites was conducted. The further progression of the site acquisition will have to be...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and the Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (3 Feb 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Details of the job-sharing scheme are set out in my Departments circular letter 18/98. This scheme has not been withdrawn and there have been no recent amendments to this circular letter. Under this scheme, the decision to approve an application for job-sharing is a matter for the authorities of the employing school.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is exploring the possibility of the relocation, on a temporary basis, of the school in question to an alternative site from the academic year beginning September 2009. The Department is liaising with the school, who are aware of the proposal. The progression of all large scale building projects from initial design through to construction phase is considered on an ongoing basis...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (3 Feb 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are 33 vocational education committees (VECs) established under, and governed according to, the Vocational Education Acts, 1930 to 2001. Each VEC is a statutory body with its own corporate status. Financial allocations are made to the VECs as part of a block grant. VECs are given a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of their budgets and each VEC is allowed to...