Results 6,101-6,120 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The term 'computation' has a variety of different meanings, ranging from a simple process of (number) calculation or reckoning, to very sophisticated algorithms or protocols that occur within closed physical systems, such as computers. In respect of school students and their learning in mathematics, computation in terms of number operations is included at both primary and second level, and is...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, including organising the holding of examinations and issuing the results of examinations. In the State examinations all candidates who attempt an examination in a particular subject are awarded a grade ranging from an A (85% and above) to an NG (less than 10%). In...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Enrolment decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Management of each individual school. Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, provides parents with an appeal process where a Board of Management of a school or a person acting on behalf of the Board refuses enrolment to a student. In these circumstances, the school is obliged to inform parents of their right under Section 29 of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Modernisation and Policy Unit of my Department received around 670 applications for funding under the Contingency (Emergency) Works Fund in 2007 and around 750 since the beginning of January 2008. Grants from this fund are available for very urgent unforeseen works, primarily of a major health and safety nature, to schools that are in most need of resources for capital works.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position in relation to legislation planned for the current Dáil session is as set out in the Government's Legislative programme. The Student Support Bill 2008 is scheduled to be taken at Committee Stage in the current Dáil session. There are a further three draft measures on which it is proposed to seek Government approval for drafting. These are: The Education (Patronage) Bill —...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the NEPS or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of...

Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The scope for any increases in the capitation grant for primary or post-primary schools has to be considered in the context of Government budgetary policy and the overall economic climate. My Department is aware of the funding pressures on schools. However, progress has been made in recent years that has seen the primary school capitation grant increased from €81.26 per pupil in 2000 to its...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In Mayo this year, seven major school projects were under construction, of which two are primary schools and two are special schools. In addition to this, there are seven major projects in Mayo in various stages of Architectural Planning of which three are primary schools. Since the introduction of the Small Schools Scheme, thirty one Primary Schools in Co. Mayo have received funding under...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to the long-term funding for the centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with my Department on standards that will enable them to be supported as primary schools for children with autism. The Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to comment while the discussions are ongoing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has surveyed almost 900 primary schools across the country regarding their use of rented prefabricated accommodation and is in the process of compiling this information. The information gathered will be used to produce a database of information on rented prefabricated accommodation which will be maintained on an ongoing basis and will inform my Department's future...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question in County Carlow is in a clustering arrangement with another school and continues to have access to the same hours under the general allocation system as pertained in previous years.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A request for the partial surrender of lands at the school referred to by the Deputy has been received. My officials have requested a report from the school Inspector and this is awaited. On receipt of this report, a decision will be made.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A schedule of overall accommodation for a projected long-term enrolment of 800 has been drawn up and agreed with the School Authorities for the school to which the Deputy refers. County Limerick V.E.C are taking the lead role in identifying and acquiring a new site for the proposed new school. The acquisition of the site will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In the year 2000 there were 47,426 first and second level teachers and by June 2008 the figure had risen to 57,909. The following information on numbers of staff (excluding Department staff) may also be of assistance: 2000: First level — 23,702. Second level — 27,965. Third level- 15,063. 2008 (June): First level — 38,980. Second level — 31,839. third level — 20,371.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Teaching Council is the designated statutory body for the recognition of qualifications for teaching and is obliged to establish and maintain a Register of Teachers. Based on the records on the Register of Teachers, there are 123 colleges or universities in Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland that run (or ran) Teacher Education Programmes where graduates were recognised by the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's website is due to receive a major hardware upgrade and I have asked my officials to examine ways in which the upgraded website can be used to communicate information on the school building programme when this work has been completed.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. My Department has already made a significant contribution to the accommodation needs of the town referred to by the Deputy with the provision of a new 8-classroom building, due for completion at the end of October. An application for grant aid for major capital works was received from the school to which the Deputy refers on 1st May 2007....

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (7 Oct 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 (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the general allocation model was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special educational needs. A review of the general allocation model is currently underway.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (7 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 505 to 517, inclusive, together. The demand for additional accommodation in schools has risen significantly over the last number of years, with the appointment of 6,000 extra teachers in the primary sector alone since 2002. In considering the need to provide extra resource and other teachers to schools in recent years, the Government could have decided to make...