Results 5,161-5,180 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under statute in 2002. Under the terms of the legislation, the institutions to be covered by the terms of the scheme were listed on a Schedule to the Act. This Schedule initially contained 128 institutions. In 2004 a further 13 institutions were added to the Schedule by Ministerial Order in accordance with the legislation. Again in...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The teacher referred to by the Deputy shall receive salary for the last fortnightly period this week. Arrangements are being made to have the outstanding payments owed to the person issued as soon as possible.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The selection of teachers for appointment to state funded teaching positions is a matter for the employing school authority, which must take account of all appropriate legislation and agreed recruitment policies at Post-Primary level. My Department has no role in the selection process.

Written Answers — School Books Scheme: School Books Scheme (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Notwithstanding the increase of €302 million in the Education budget for 2009, which is a real achievement in the current economic climate, a number of tough and difficult decisions had to be taken. These decisions included reductions on the aid for school books scheme which in the case of schools outside of the DEIS scheme will involve savings of approximately €7.5 million on current...

Written Answers — School Books Scheme: School Books Scheme (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy on the cost of the School Book Grant at second level from 1997 to 2007 is asfollows: Year 1997 €4.49m (IR£3.54m) 1998 €5.02m (IR£3.95m) 1999 €5.12m (IR£4.03m) 2000 €5.78m 2001 €5.97m 2002 €6.17m 2003 €6.36m 2004 €6.36m 2005 €7.02m 2006 €7.52m 2007 €7.94m In framing the budget, a range of very difficult policy...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (26 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has approved a new 24 classroom school and ancillary accommodation for the school to which the Deputy refers. This project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning process (detailed design). As a matter of policy, my Department does not provide cost estimates for individual projects as this might prejudice the tendering process. Further progression of this...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (26 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that 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 (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant was allocated to Croghan NS, to enable the management authority to build a new three classroom school. Additional funding was provided for unavoidable extra costs relating to planning conditions and ground works. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs, rather the terms of the Scheme require...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The assessment of means under my Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes is based on gross income from all sources, with specified social welfare and health service executive payments being excluded from the calculation. A P21 is a statement of total income, tax credit and tax paid for a particular tax year. The Deputy will be aware that through the Revenue On-line...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 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 the...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 529 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 Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared. The...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 530 and 531 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 Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared. The...

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison: Home-School Liaison (25 Nov 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 — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The following measures were taken by my Department as part of the Government's programme for the rationalisation of agencies. The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) will be amalgamated into a single agency. It is difficult to quantify savings until more...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (25 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 the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of identifying the areas where significant additional accommodation will be required at primary and post-primary level for 2009 and onwards. Factors under consideration include population growth, demographic trends, current and projected enrolments, recent and planned housing developments and capacity of existing schools to meet...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (25 Nov 2008)

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 — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (25 Nov 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. The project is at the early stages of architectural planning. The progression of all major building projects, including this project, from initial design through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (25 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for large scale capital funding for an extension and refurbishment project. The project is at the early stages of architectural planning. The progression of all major building projects, including this project, from initial design through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual...