Results 4,921-4,940 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (10 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 to 223, inclusive, together. Language support teachers are appointed to assist schools in providing additional English language support for pupils for whom English is a second language. There are currently 554 Language Support Teachers allocated to post- primary schools, at a current cost of approximately â¬35 million per annum. The number of teaching...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 provides a statutory framework for the education of children with special educational needs. As the Deputy will be aware, a significant number of sections of the EPSEN Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education and those promoting an inclusive approach to the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building 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...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has been engaged with the school's Patron and his advisers in relation to this project. I am advised that an issue has arisen regarding the ownership of the site for the new school in question and my Department is currently awaiting confirmation that there is good and marketable title to the property.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme....
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is open to the Board of Management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule which issues annually to all Boards of Management and is also made available on my...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In June 2008, the school to which the Deputy refers was approved for a grant of â¬33,603 under the parent room measure of the Dormant Accounts/ RAPID Leverage Fund Scheme for Disadvantaged Schools. The contractor referred to by the Deputy was contracted by the board of management of the school to refurbish an existing room in the school for use as a parent room. Under the scheme, where a...
- Written Answers — Site Disposals: Site Disposals (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received correspondence from the Diocesan Solicitors in relation to the partial surrender of a portion the school referred to by the Deputy. Officials of my Department have recently written to the patron of the school in question. A response is awaited. My officials will revert to the Solicitors in due course.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415, 416, 439 and 466 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...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 to 421, inclusive, together. A database of temporary accommodation is currently being finalised and will inform my Department's future decision-making in this area. Information is being collated on approximately 900 schools which have received approval from my Department for temporary accommodation including, but not limited to, prefabs. The information...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 454 together. An application for large scale capital funding from the school to which the Deputy refers has been assessed by the Planning and Building Unit of my Department and has been assigned a band 2 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. Progress on the project will be considered in the context of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Guidelines: Departmental Guidelines (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has strict rules regarding foreign travel which are in compliance with the Department of Finance circulars. The over-riding principle of our approach to foreign travel is that travel costs should be kept to a minimum and that official attendance provides good value for money. Foreign travel is only permitted when it is contributes to the Department's business needs and goals...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The 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 phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 427, 442 to 444, inclusive, and 458 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...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for works under the 2008 Summer Works Scheme. Since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of â¬300 million have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, the particular emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 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 Management Authority of the school. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The proposed project for the school in question is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The progression of all large scale building projects, 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 competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not...
- Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received no appeal from the candidate referred to by the Deputy. The decision on eligibility for student maintenance grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority, either the local authority or VEC, as appropriate. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department, except in exceptional circumstances. If an individual applicant considers that...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is open to the Board of Management of a primary school to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0010/2008, available on my Department's website. The criteria are also...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the development of the Metro North line is the subject of an on-going public consultation process, which is being conducted by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA). This process is the correct mechanism for raising the issues to which the Deputy refers and the school authority in question should avail of it to ensure that its concerns are addressed. I also understand...