Results 5,341-5,360 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. All applications for large scale capital funding are assessed against published prioritisation criteria which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. Under the criteria, each project is assigned a Band Rating which reflects the type of works required and the urgency...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that applications have been received from 3 Institutes of Technology for designation as Universities. These applications raise significant issues regarding Government policy towards higher education, in particular the existing roles of the Universities and Institutes of Technology which have distinctive missions from each other, provide different levels and types of academic...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. The detailed staffing allocation for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. While the total number of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 she/he has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant, or that the rate of maintenance...

Written Answers — Schools Funding: Schools Funding (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An allocation of €15.9m has been provided in the 2009 Budget for Subhead B17 Miscellaneous. This subhead provides for a range of miscellaneous services which include costs relating to: The School Development Programme, Early Literacy Programmes, Funding of the Braille Production Unit, The Partnership Programme, Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act, The funding of an Chomhairle um...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has completed the process of decentralising all sections due to relocate to Athlone and to date, 88 posts have decentralised from my Department to Athlone. The main relocation of posts from Dublin to Mullingar will take place when the new office accommodation in Mullingar is ready for occupation. However, in June 2008, my Department utilised existing available accommodation,...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 268 together. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that a home tuition grant has been sanctioned for the child in question and my officials have confirmed this in a recent conversation with the parent.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The meeting held with my Department was arranged by officials following protracted correspondence and representations by the Joint Managerial Body/Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools. This meeting was exceptional in so far as the Independent Appeals Committee had concluded its work for the 2008/09 school year. It took this meeting with officials to prompt the school to act...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 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....

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The budget measures will mean that the level of language support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007. However, the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision made in the Education Budget for 2009 is to suspend substitution cover for two categories of absences. The two categories of absences for which substitution cover will not be provided for in 2009 are uncertified sick leave at primary and second level and official school business at second level. Substitution cover will continue to be provided for all other categories of...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an application for funding for replacement furniture from the school in question. This application has been considered for funding. However, in light of the competing demands on the available budget, it was not possible to approve funding to replace existing furniture at this time. The Board of Management submitted an appeal against the decision and will be advised of...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 272 together. The National Council for Curriculum & Assessment has developed a new syllabus at Leaving Certificate for Technology; prior to this the subject was available to Junior Certificate level only. The subject was first introduced into Post-Primary schools in September 2007 and will be examined for the first time by the State Examinations...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Notwithstanding the increase of €302 million in the Education Budget for 2009, in making the announcement of the Budget measures for education, I stressed that tough choices had to be made in meeting the needs of the education sector in these difficult times. The resources available to the Department have meant that these choices have been very challenging. The decision made to suspend...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the terms of the Indemnity Agreement reached with the Religious Congregations on 5th June 2002, the Congregations agreed to make a contribution of €128 million towards the cost of the Redress Scheme. This sum was broken down as follows: Property Transfers €76.86m; Cash Contribution €41.14m; Provision of Counselling Services €10m. In actual terms, whilst the overall figure of...

Written Answers — School Staffing and Grant Payments: School Staffing and Grant Payments (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department interacts with over 3,200 primary schools on many day to day issues including their staffing allocation and grant payments. It is not possible to compile the information requested by the Deputy at individual school level given the inordinate amount of time it would take and balanced against the many other competing demands on my Department's resources.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I take it that the Deputy is referring to a portion of the site of The Neale National School, Co. Mayo, Roll Number 12350T. My Department has received correspondence in relation to the partial surrender of a portion of the above school site for the establishment of a Playschool. This correspondence is currently under active consideration by officials in my Department. My officials will revert...

Written Answers — Early Retirement Scheme: Early Retirement Scheme (12 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It was recently announced that the Early Retirement Scheme for teachers, which had operated on a pilot basis since 1996, has been suspended in all sectors until further notice. The Scheme, which consisted of 3 strands, was a voluntary scheme. Like other programmes under my Department's remit, the continuance of the pilot scheme is subject to available resources and to changes in Government...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (12 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. Prudent management of the Government finances is...