Results 6,141-6,160 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Provision is made for up to ten per cent of the teacher training places in the Colleges of Education to be reserved for Gaeltacht applicants. This special entry competition for persons from the Gaeltacht is in accordance with Government policy for the support and promotion of the Gaeltachtaí and of the use of the Irish language as a community language. In order to achieve these objectives,...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Two thousand five hundred and twenty six teachers employed in Secondary and community/Comprehensive schools and eighteen hundred and nine teachers in primary schools are currently in receipt of a Masters Degree allowance. The information in relation to teachers employed by VECs is held by them individually and is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department provides funding towards the cost of secretarial and caretaking services in all recognised primary schools under two separate schemes. One scheme is the 1978/79 scheme for the employment of full-time secretaries and caretakers in primary schools, under which my Department meets the full cost of salary. This scheme is being phased out as posts become vacant and no new posts are...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Grants to schools are paid electronically into individual school bank accounts. The main grants are calculated and paid based on the annual enrolment returns from schools. This helps to ensure that the administrative burden for schools for the payment of these grants is kept to a minimum. My Department does not have an on-line facility for the application process for grants. My Department...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 291 together. My Department is aware of a need for further post primary provision in the Dublin 15 area. As the Deputy may be aware, the Department intends to acquire sites in the Dublin 15 area for the purposes of providing additional school places. Due to the commercial sensitivities attaching to site acquisitions generally, the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department was made aware of proposals to establish a new Gaelscoil to serve Tyrrellstown/Hollystown in August 2008. A formal 'Notification of Intent' to establish this new school was received from the proposed Patron, An Foras Patrunachta in September 2008. However, as the Deputy will be aware, I announced a review of the procedures for recognising primary schools on 14th September...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied for an extension. It has a band rating of 2. The progression of this project will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. In light of the many competing demands on the capital budget of my Department, it is not possible to give an indicative timeframe for this project to...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project in question has been sanctioned and my Department has contacted Co. Mayo VEC authorising them to progress the project. As the Deputy will be aware, from February 2008 all Capital Works Projects must use the new GCCC Forms of Construction Contracts for Public Works and, as a result, Co. Mayo VEC have been informed that the project at Davitt...

Written Answers — School Patronage: School Patronage (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 283 together. I am currently considering a number of issues relating to the patronage of second-level schools and the matters raised by the Deputies will be considered in that context.

Written Answers — Departmental Statistics: Departmental Statistics (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: While comprehensive information on the use of temporary accommodation is held on individual school files, my Department does not have a central database of those schools that are currently fully accommodated in prefabricated accommodation. The Department examines all applications for additional accommodation on an individual basis to determine if the need exists in the first instance. My...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Universities Act, 1997, confers autonomous statutory responsibilities on universities in relation to the day to day management of their affairs. It is a matter for each university to manage their financial resources and to take the necessary steps to ensure that expenditure is kept within the approved budget. I understand from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which is the statutory...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Expenditure on tertiary educational institutions, including universities, from public sources amounted to 1.38% of GNP in 1998. In 2007 similar expenditure amounted to 1.25% of GNP. There have been substantial improvements in the funding of higher education in recent years. Overall provision to the third level sector (capital, recurrent, student grants etc) amounted to some €1.5 billion in...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together. Higher-education institutions do not routinely provide information to my Department or the HEA on vacant places. At this time of year, the issue of vacant places is very fluid due to the efforts made by institutions and the CAO to fill such places. Annual returns to the HEA suggest that the overall number of vacant places is going down...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for capital funding towards the provision of a new school building has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of current competing demands...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an early stage of architectural planning. A stage 2A submission has been received by my Department and is currently being reviewed and evaluated. The progression of all large scale building projects, including this project, will be considered in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers to has an application for a new school on a new site with the Department. A suitable site has been identified for the school in question. The site comprises of three plots of land with three separate vendors. Officials from my Department are in contact with key stakeholders with a view to exploring the options open to advancing the proposed acquisition....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage 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. However, in light of current competing demands on the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the modernisation agenda for teachers under the Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016 it was agreed to address the issue of redeployment of surplus teachers. Discussions on the arrangements that would apply in the case of second level schools commenced under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council in March 2007. It was initially agreed that the discussions would...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Oct 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 — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (2 Oct 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school referred to by the Deputy applied for funding for replacement of windows 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...