Results 5,381-5,400 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware from my Parliamentary Response No. 209 of 1st October, 2008 that my Department received an appeal on the 18 September 2008. The outcome of the examination issued to the individual concerned on the 2nd October 2008.

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Redress Board's primary function is to provide financial redress to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in Industrial Schools, Reformatories or other institutions that were subject to State regulation or inspection. The Board was established under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 and the legislation governing its operation is contained...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 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...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to confirm that I have received a letter from the person referred to by the Deputy. A response issued from my office on 2nd July 2008. An official of my Department has recently contacted the patron of the school concerned given that the matters raised refer to the appointment of members of Boards of Management which are a matter in the first instance for the relevant school patron.

Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers in the early stages 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 on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The financial details relating to building projects are held on individual project files in my Department. Accordingly the specific information requested by the Deputy is not readily available within my Department and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. The Deputy will appreciate that my Department funds a very large number of building projects annually. In...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that no staff member in my Department, who retired over the past three years, received a severance package.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school in question, which is currently at an early stage of architectural planning, will take place on the existing site. As I have previously informed the Deputy in response to a recent Parliamentary Question in this matter, the progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, from initial design stage through to construction phase...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The means test arrangements of the Student Maintenance Grant Schemes have been in operation since 1983 and are applied nationally. In the case of both the employed and self-employed gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. Under the schemes reckonable income is defined as income from: Employment/Pensions; Self...

Written Answers — School Management: School Management (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I appreciate and share the concerns of school communities regarding vandalism of school property and security in general. Individual school authorities are responsible in the first instance for health and safety issues, including making adequate security arrangements, at schools. School authorities should liaise with their local Gardai who are best placed to provide practical advice and...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department has not undertaken development works for school building purposes pursuant to Section 181 (2)(a) of the Planning and Development Act.

Written Answers — Discrimination In Education: Discrimination In Education (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education was agreed in 1960. Ireland was not a member of UNESCO at that time. There are no immediate plans for Ireland to ratify the Convention. Ireland is committed in general to the principles of equality of educational opportunity contained in the Convention. For example, the Equal Status Act, 2000 prohibits an educational institution...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 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. All schools have the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 620 to 634, inclusive, together. The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. Decisions were made in order to control expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long term. In this respect Education, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be entirely spared, and I acknowledge the impact of funding restrictions...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department utilises electronic tendering by using the government e-tenders website for all tender competitions. All requests for tender are advertised electronically on the etenders website, queries are accepted via email and clarifications are made available electronically on the etenders website. In addition, my Department now accepts tenders submitted in electronic format in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school referred to by the Deputy applied for funding for roof works under the emergency works scheme. Generally emergency works grants are made available to schools most in need of resources as a result of unforeseen emergencies of a capital nature that may arise during the school year. The application from the school was assessed in my Department. However, in light of the large number...

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Given the financial exigencies, I will not be making any change to measures announced on budget day in relation to this grant or other grants to schools.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The needs of all visually impaired children in the relevant caseload in Co. Mayo, including the case to which the Deputy refers, will be addressed in the ongoing process of examining options for the re-establishment of a visiting teacher service to the county.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy is referring to the rate of tuition fee to be charged to students who do not qualify for free tuition fees under my Department's free fees schemes. The criteria by which individual third level institutions establish the rate of tuition fee to be charged, in cases where a student does not qualify for free fees, is determined by the institutions. The position is that the third...