Results 5,001-5,020 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Language Schools: Language Schools (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The English language education sector is an important part of Ireland's international education offering, and is a major contributor to the Irish economy. Recent estimates put its total impact on the economy at around €500 million. It is important, therefore, that institutions offering English language courses and other programmes of education to international students should operate...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In September 2005 funding of €300 million for an Education PPP Programme comprising of 23 new post-primary schools and 4 new primary schools under a major expansion of the Government's Public Private Partnership Programme was announced. The first bundle of schools announced in November 2005 comprises of Banagher College-Colaiste na Sionna, Gallen Community School, Ferbane, Scoil Chriost Ri,...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is my belief that a well planned Physical Education programme has a vitally important role to play in a broad and balanced curriculum for our primary and second level students. At primary level, Physical Education is one of seven curriculum areas within the revised Primary School Curriculum which was introduced in 1999. A minimum of one hour of physical education per week is recommended...

Written Answers — Language Schools: Language Schools (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Advisory Council for English Language Schools (ACELS) was established in 1967 and reconstituted as a company operating under the aegis of the Department of Education and Science in 1995. It provides a voluntary quality assurance and inspection scheme for private sector English language schools. ACELS also approves teacher training qualifications for the EFL private sector, and has...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In general, there are no grants payable directly to teachers to obtain a postgraduate qualification. However, the Teacher Education Section does pay tuition fees directly to colleges for teachers who undertake a number of post-graduate programmes in the area of Special Educational Needs. The Deputy might be interested to note that teachers who successfully complete certain post-graduate...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is indeed open to the concept of multi-school campus arrangements as this can have many positive outcomes, including the reduction in land take required for school development. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will always convey this to Local Authorities when requesting site reservations for educational purposes as part of a Local Area Plan or a County Development...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Approximately 900 schools were contacted in September 2007 and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the stock of temporary accommodation in their schools. This information has now been collected and is currently being collated in my Department. The data received so far from schools has been entered into a database and shows the following information: The total number of prefabs...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is examining the feasibility of grouping a number of schools in the 3rd Bundle of school projects to be procured via Public Private Partnership. The make up and timing of bundles in my Department's PPP school building programme will be determined by my Department in consultation with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA). The issues to be considered in the timing and...

Written Answers — Third Level Funding: Third Level Funding (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In July of this year I launched the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008-2013. One of the key objectives of this plan is to mainstream our approaches to improving access to higher education, including reflecting the importance of access in the funding model for the sector. Since 2006 the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM), which is the Higher Education...

Written Answers — Departmental Statistics: Departmental Statistics (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department conducts an Annual Census of primary schools in order to gather the data my Department needs for statistical, administrative and policy planning purposes. The types of data collected include information on pupil's age, standard and class, data on entrants, leavers, learning support, pupil retention and teacher data. The Census also collects information on pupils with special...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy regarding major projects on site at 30 November 2008 along with their expected completion dates is given in the following tabular statement. There are 27 major primary school projects and 6 major post-primary school projects which are currently in construction and which will progress to completion in 2009 or early 2010. In addition, this years capital...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: On 29th September this year I announced details of 25 major school building projects. Details of these projects are in the table which is also available on my Department's website. The school building projects which I announced will provide permanent primary school places for over 4,600 students in five new schools and 15 extended and modernised schools. A further 3,600 students at...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers was given approval to rent temporary accommodation while awaiting a new school building. The original project brief for the school was for a refurbishment and extension consisting of six additional mainstream classrooms and appropriate ancillary accommodation to cater for a long term projected enrolment of a Principal and 16 mainstream class teachers....

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced, over 3,000 projects, costing in excess of €300 million, have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, the particular emphasis in 2008 has been on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while also delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Student Support Bill was published in February 2008 and provides the legislative framework for the reform of the administration of student grants and the amalgamation of the existing four student grant schemes into a single unified scheme which will be provided for by way of regulation. The Bill concluded Second Stage in the Dáil on the 30th April 2008 and it is anticipated that it...

Written Answers — Departmental Guidelines: Departmental Guidelines (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has not issued guidelines to schools on this matter and it is not an issue that has been raised as causing particular difficulty in schools. In general, it is my Department's view that both parents should be encouraged to take an active interest in their children's education and it is to the benefit of the children and the school when they do. It is appreciated that practical...

Written Answers — Trade Qualifications: Trade Qualifications (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There is no national agreement in place between FÁS Apprenticeship Services and US based authorities to recognise trade awards. Education and training provision differs across the federal status, and there is not a uniform system. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is the Irish centre for the recognition of international qualifications, and has established Qualifications...

Written Answers — Third Level Institutions: Third Level Institutions (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy may be aware that the cap on student numbers relates to funding under my Department's Free Fees Initiative for up to 925 students in the National College of Ireland. The college cannot expand on this limit without the approval of my Department and the Department of Finance. The NCI are free to increase the number of student places that they offer outside the free fees scheme....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the concerns raised by the school referred to by the Deputy. However we are dealing with an economic situation of unprecedented difficulty. The Government has a collective duty to respond to this and to take very difficult decisions in the national interest. In doing this we have attempted to afford some shelter to the education sector but given the scale of public...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (4 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department requested the Office of Public Works to identify a suitable site for the school in question in September 2007. No decision has been made to postpone the acquisition of such a site. The Deputy will appreciate that the acquisition of a site has to be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. In light of current...