Results 5,521-5,540 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 difficult economic circumstances. The resources available to the Department have meant that these choices have been very challenging and I acknowledge the impact of funding restrictions in a number of areas, including at school level....

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 and 503 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 (4 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 to 507, inclusive, and 555 together. The recent budgetary announcements did not affect the criteria used for the allocation of special needs teaching and care resources for children with special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education continues to operate within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 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 the...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 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 — Youth Services: Youth Services (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The youth work sector has received unprecedented financial support over the past number of years. Youth services funding by the Department of Education and Science expanded from €35.5m in 2004 to €52.6m in 2008. While this funding has allowed for some expansion in the sector, there has been a growing emphasis on consolidation. The 2009 budget allocation for youth services from the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have asked the Planning and Building Unit of my Department to review all payments made relating to the project in question and to resolve the matter as soon as possible. I will inform the Deputy of the outcome of this review as soon as possible.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The allocation of teaching resources to second level schools has operated on the basis of a well established allocation process based on transparent allocation rules, with an independent appellate process available to schools. In the interest of fairness and consistency for all schools it has been established practice that schools deal with Department officials and the Independent Appeals...

Written Answers — Forbairt na Gaeilge: Forbairt na Gaeilge (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Cuireann mo Roinnse raon bearta ar fáil chun tacú le múineadh agus foghlaim na Gaeilge agus le foghlaim trí Ghaeilge. Ina measc siúd tá: Tacaíocht do bhunú Gaelscoileanna; Forbairt ghairmiúil do mhúinteoirí ag an leibhéal bunscoile agus iarbhunscoile tríd an gClár Tacaíochta don Churaclam Bunscoile agus tríd an tSeirbhís Tacaíochta Dara Leibhéal, faoina gcuirtear 34...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The class size data for primary schools in relation to the current school year, 2008/09 is compiled from the Annual Census of primary schools and is not yet available. The information in relation to the 2007/2008 school year is as follows. Schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and the Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The following Ministers of State have responsibility in the context of their appointment by the Government to my Department as set out as follows: 1: John Moloney T.D. Minister of State has responsibility for particular aspects of the implementation of the EPSEN and Disability Acts relating to education that require co-ordination between the health and education sectors. 2: Barry Andrews...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 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 to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE will undertake to review...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 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 be providing multi-denominational education in the Clontarf/ Marino/Fairview area of Dublin. Its current location in Glasnevin, which is already served by two multi-denominational schools, was intended to be a purely temporary measure. It is...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available on a county basis and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. Question No. 524 answered with Question No. 457.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (4 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (4 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 Staffing: School Staffing (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of time to compile. In terms of the staffing implications at individual school level for the 2009/10 school year, schools are currently returning data to my Department in relation to their enrolment as of 30 September. My Department has commenced processing this data...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (4 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 the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Programme: Schools Building Programme (4 Nov 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is in the early stages of architectural planning and, as such, it is not yet at a stage where it would be on a list of projects due to proceed to construction. The project will have to complete the various design and planning stages before it is ready to be considered for progression to tender and construction. The progression of...