Results 5,401-5,420 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (11 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 the decision to discontinue the annual funding of €97,000 that my Department made available to the Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) at Dublin City University....

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Since my appointment as Minister for Education and Science on the 7 May 2008 I have not used public transport while on official duties.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular format below: Cost of travel by Department of Education and Science officials: Year â'¬ 2007 Bus 3,358.90 Ferries 144.80 Trains, Dart & Luas 87,027.33 Total 90,531.03 2008 To end September Bus 2,315.18 Ferries 76.50 Trains, Dart & Luas 72,566.28 Total 74,957.96

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (11 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...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers involves the acquisition of additional land. The progression of the project, from site acquisition and initial design stage through to construction phase will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department,...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The redeployment panel system agreed between the Patron Bodies of primary schools and the I.N.T.O. serves as a means for redeployment of permanent teachers in schools where posts are suppressed to schools with vacancies. Panels are determined by the patronage of the school and the final decision to admit a teacher to the panel rests with the Patron. Once the panel system is in operation...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (11 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The non-capital costs incurred by my Department to date under the Decentralisation Programme are €191,945 (This figure includes expenditure on the fitting out of the new building in Athlone which accommodates both decentralised staff plus approximately 100 Department of Education and Science personnel who had been in temporary accommodation on the Athlone campus). Non-capital costs...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. There are currently 5.5 officers working in my Constituency Office. The grades of these are as follows: 1 Higher Executive Officer — located in my Department 1 Staff Officer (working on a half time basis) — located in my Department 2 Clerical Officers — located in my Department 1 Personal Assistant (Higher Executive Officer level)...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 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 in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 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 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....

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 256, inclusive, together. My Department has received correspondence in relation to the school in question from solicitors acting on behalf of a committee, as distinct from the Trustees of the school, to establish a playschool on the existing premises. This correspondence is currently under active consideration by officials in my Department. My...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department makes a specific allocation of teaching posts in respect of guidance to schools in the second level system. This allocation is based on the pupil enrolment in September of the preceding school year. As a result of the decision to allocate an additional 100 posts to guidance from September 2005 an enhanced guidance allocation provision has been put in place from the...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that a suitable site has been identified for the school referred to. It was originally intended that my Department would acquire the lands directly and negotiations were progressing on that basis. The school's Patron indicated that he was willing, in principle, to acquire the lands in order to advance the project subject to the Patron receiving a guarantee in...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have approved an emergency works grant for this school to enable the works referred to by the Deputy to be carried out as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is 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 in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme.

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (6 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The issue of the re-introduction of third level fees, to which the Deputy refers, should be viewed in the context of the wider funding of higher education. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is investing unprecedented levels of public funding in higher education. In 2008 some €2 billion is being invested in our third level sector. In contributing to the achievement of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 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 expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect the education sector, while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure, could not be totally spared. Vote 26: Education & Science was increased by...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (6 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...