Results 4,881-4,900 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy was informed in response to a Dáil Adjournment on the 11th December, 2008, the Office of Public Works, OPW, which acts on behalf of the Department in site acquisitions generally was requested to source a greenfield site for the school in question. However, on foot of advertising, no proposals were received for a greenfield site in the Cabra area. Further to this, the OPW...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the concerns raised by the school referred to by the Deputy. The Government's commitment to education is clear both from its track record over the past decade in providing substantial additional resources, most notably extra teachers to meet previously unmet needs and from the programme the Government set for itself when it came into office. A lot has changed in the past...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The project for 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 current competing...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project to which the Deputy refers was announced to commence architectural planning on the 8th November 2006. The schedule of overall accommodation for the school in question was recently agreed with the school management and County Westmeath VEC. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project from initial design stage through to...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The project for 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 current competing...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (16 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the concerns raised by the school referred to by the Deputy. The Government's commitment to education is clear both from its track record over the past decade in providing substantial additional resources, most notably extra teachers to meet previously unmet needs and from the programme the Government set for itself when it came into office. A lot has changed in the past...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The details of the operation of the supervision and substitution scheme are outlined in Circular PPT 01/03. I have included a copy of the Circular for the information of the Deputy. The scheme is available to all primary and second level schools funded by my Department. Permanent, temporary and part-time teachers employed in the school may volunteer at the commencement of the school year...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The second Schools PPP bundle, which consists of six schools including the school referred to by the Deputy, was handed over to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) in May 2008. The NDFA advertised the bundle in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEC) on 20th May 2008. This tender competition is being procured using the competitive dialogue procedure as provided for...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension project. No decision has been taken yet as to whether or not this can be provided within the confines of the existing site. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding for a new school building. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2 rating. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project,...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware the Teaching Council Act 2001 provided for the establishment of a Council for the purposes of promoting teaching as a profession, maintaining and improving the standards of teaching, providing for the establishment of standards, policies and procedures for the education and training of teachers, and other matters relating to teachers and the teaching...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: There are no whole time equivalent staff engaged in support of the work of the Better Regulation Unit of the Department of An Taoiseach and there is no specific budget allocation in this area. My Department is represented on a Working Group convened by the Department of An Taoiseach to bring together officials from each Government Departments and the Office of the Attorney General to share...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 271 together. 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, the education sector, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be...
- Written Answers — : (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Significant improvements have been made in the staffing of our second level schools in recent years. In the 2001/2002 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. Currently there are 26,821 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. This figure is broken down as follows: 13,542 to voluntary...
- Written Answers — : (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As a result of the 2009 Budget provisions for Education, arising from current economic challenges, and following subsequent proposals from the management bodies of post-primary schools, new arrangements are being put into place for substitution cover for uncertified sick leave for teachers in post-primary schools and for official school business in post-primary schools. These arrangements...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Dec 2008)
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...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics. Specifically in relation to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department estimates that the cost of the Early Retirement Scheme in 2009 would have been â¬19m. This figure represents lump sum and pensions for new retirees in 2009. With the suspension of the scheme, it is likely that some teachers who would normally apply under the early retirement scheme will retire on other grounds. Therefore, it is estimated that the scheme's suspension will...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics. Specifically in relation to...
- Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (11 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Multi-denominational schools serve a broad demographic area. On this basis, my Department considers that the North city, including Glasnevin, is served by two multi-denominational schools namely the North Dublin National School Project and Dublin 7 Educate Together NS. The Department accepted the argument made by the proposers of the school in question that there was a need for a...