Results 5,141-5,160 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Health and Safety Issues: Health and Safety Issues (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care including traffic management measures. In accordance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, it is the responsibility of school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. Schools are obliged to...

Written Answers — Teaching Council: Teaching Council (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 and 507 together. 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...

Written Answers — Teaching Council: Teaching Council (2 Dec 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since its establishment in 2006, the Teaching Council is responsible for the promotion of teaching as a profession; the promotion of the professional development of teachers and for the regulation of standards in the profession. All teachers must be registered with the Council and have their qualifications verified to be enrolled on the register of qualified teachers. While all sections...

Written Answers — School Funding: School Funding (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 expenditure, could not be totally spared. The various impacts at school level were included in...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Government's continued prioritisation of education over the last 11 years is evidenced from our investment in 2009 of €9.6 billion — over treble what it was in 1997. The increase of €302m in the Education budget for 2009 is a real achievement in the current economic climate. Education is one of only three Government Departments to have increased funding in 2009. The commitment...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department and it takes account of the supply of, and demand for primary teachers. The number of places on the Bachelor of Education and Post Graduate courses are detailed in the following table. The intake into the Colleges of Education in future years will continue to be kept under review by my Department...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have already met with a deputation from one of the schools he refers to. I do not have any plans to visit Kerry at the moment.

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, it is the duty of the Board of Management to manage a school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and their parents. As part of its functions, the board has a duty to publish the school's policy on the expulsion and suspension of students. Section 23 of the Education Welfare Act 2000 requires all schools to have in place a...

Written Answers — School Equipment: School Equipment (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A devolved minor works grant is paid to all fully recognised primary schools annually. Primary school authorities may use their minor works grant to deal with the type of issue raised by the Deputy. Individual primary schools receive a grant of €5,500 plus €18.50 per pupil. My Department intends to pay the next round of minor works grant early in 2009.

Written Answers — Summer Works Scheme: Summer Works Scheme (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Since the summer works scheme was introduced in 2004, 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 is on providing sufficient school places in developing areas, while showing the Government's commitment to delivering improvements in the quality of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school authority referred to by the Deputy applied for an additional classroom in June 2008 to cater for a projected increase in enrolment. The enrolment on 30 September 2007 was 31 pupils and the school currently has a staffing of principal plus one mainstream teacher. This application for an additional classroom was refused on the basis that no additional mainstream teacher was due to...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers commenced operation in September 2002 with provisional recognition from the Department on the basis that it would provide multidenominational education in the Clontarf, Marino and Fairview areas of Dublin. The location of the school in Glasnevin, which is served by two multidenominational schools, was intended to be a purely temporary measure. The...

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (27 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers has a band 1.4 rating under the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects. This reflects the fact that accommodation is needed to facilitate an amalgamation. The project, which involves the acquisition of land to extend the site, is in the early stages of architectural planning. It is included among over 360 other projects at...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Payment of the increases provided for under the terms of the Towards 2016 Agreement is dependent, in the case of each sector, organisation and grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, including co-operation with satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation set out in the Agreement, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for replacement temporary accommodation to my Department. The application is being assessed and the school authority will be informed of the decision as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Responsibility for checking on the suitability of new staff for positions in schools rests with Boards of Management as employers. Good practice should involve the checking of recent employment records, qualifications, experience and names of referees where a new substitute teacher is not known to the school or is approaching the school for the first time. While many substitute teachers...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the 2008/09 school year, my Department allocated a total of 1,715 whole time equivalent teaching posts to the private fee-paying post primary school sector. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill these teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures. It is estimated that the average cost of employing a post-primary school teacher...

Written Answers — Departmental Legal Costs: Departmental Legal Costs (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the matter to which the Deputy refers. As the case remains before the Courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the detail of the proceedings. However, the Deputy should be aware that the educational intervention which is being provided to the child in question was found by the High Court to be appropriate and to meet his needs. It is the norm in these...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 together. My Department has a copy of a 99 year lease with the landowner in relation to the school in question. The Deputy will be aware that a lease is a document between the Landowners, the Trustees and me as Minister for Education and Science. I am advised that it is not general practice to release copies of same. The Deputy will be also be...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Section 12 of the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 provides that following its establishment, the agency must prepare a strategic plan consisting of a written statement and a plan indicating the strategy for the development of the Grangegorman site and a budget for its delivery. The agency recently submitted a draft strategic plan and budget to my Department. They are being examined...