Results 5,681-5,700 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools. SNA support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. The nature and level of support provided is based on...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is awaiting the appointment of a Design Team. 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. However, in light of current competing...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The scheme of bonus payments on performance related awards in the Civil Service applies to the grades of Deputy and Assistant Secretaries and equivalent grades. In 2006 awards totalling â¬95,000 were made to 8 officials, in 2007 awards totalling â¬93,000 were made to 8 officials and in 2008 awards totalling â¬134,000 were paid to 9 officials at my Department. These payments were made on...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department's current position on the education of children with autism remains the same as I outlined in my response to his question on 8 July 2008. The criteria for allocating additional teaching and/or special needs assistant support for children with special educational needs, including autism, were not changed as part of the budget announcements....
- Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The current arrangement when a teacher becomes a member of the Oireachtas is that a replacement teacher is employed, in a temporary capacity, in his/her school for the duration of the absence. Teaching salary is paid to the Oireachtas member for the duration of the arrangement but the total cost of the replacement teacher, including pension and PRSI contributions is deducted from the salary....
- Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Restricted recognition is granted to teachers, who trained outside the State and who hold a recognised primary teacher qualification, and to teachers with certain approved Montessori qualifications. Such teachers are eligible for appointment to posts in certain categories of special schools, to posts in categories of special classes in mainstream schools where Irish is not a curricular...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The specific information requested by the Deputy in relation to the detailed staffing allocation of the schools in Co Clare for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the allocation process has fully concluded. There is nothing exceptional in this. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The specific information requested by the Deputy in relation to the detailed staffing allocation of the school in question for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the allocation process has fully concluded. There is nothing exceptional in this. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the...
- Written Answers — Lár-Oifig Iontrála: Lár-Oifig Iontrála (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Is cuideachta phrÃobháideach faoi theorainn ráthaÃochta an Lár-Oifig Iontrála agus nÃl feidhm ag mo Roinnse i leith a maoinithe ná a gnÃomhaÃochtaÃ.
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1969 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. An approved course, for the purposes of the Higher Education Grants Scheme is, generally speaking, a full-time undergraduate course...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the expansion of the Small Schools Scheme, a grant of ⬠380,000.00 was sanctioned to enable the school in question to extend and modernise the school building. The scheme is not intended to leave schools with significant fundraising needs; rather the terms of the Scheme require the schools to tailor the scope of capital works commissioned to the available funding. The decision...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Oct 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. All schools have the names and...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (29 Oct 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. All schools have the names and...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The allocation process for language support teachers is annual in nature and existing provision is not rolled out automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009-10 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new pupils that will be enrolling. At post-primary level, each school management...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: It is also important to recognise the significant improvements that have been made in the staffing of second level schools in recent years. The overall pupil-teacher ratio fell from 13.9:1 in the 2001-02 school year to 13.1:1 in the 2006-07 year. In the 2001-02 school year, there were approximately 24,500 whole-time equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006-07,...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Significant progress has also been made at primary level during the past decade or so, when the country was able to afford it.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I remind Deputy Quinn that teachers were allocated on the basis of 35:1 when his party was last in government.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: This begs the question as to whether there was a crisis at that stage.
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Class sizes have been lowered by reducing the average number of pupils per teacher from 35 in 1996-97 to the current level of 27. Significant additional supports have also been provided and we have reduced class sizes in the most disadvantaged of our DEIS schools. During the last school year almost 80% of children attending primary school were in classes with fewer than 30 pupils. With...
- Education Cuts: Motion (29 Oct 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Will the Leas-Cheann Comhairle indicate if I am running over time?