Results 6,561-6,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy has never been in Government. One agrees these things with the Department of Finance every year.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Not at all.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Why can the Opposition spokesman not avert to the fact that I told him that I would make announcements in September?
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: That is what the Deputy is getting.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: That is exactly what I did.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I invite Deputy Hayes to join me.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Today.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: We will have a look at that too.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will know that they were all predicated on a growth rate of 4.5%.
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Government has clearly signalled its commitment to education by providing more than â¬690 million more for education in this year's Estimates, with a total allocation of more than â¬9.3 billion for the education sector. This considerable investment has been used to continue to implement improvements at all levels of our education system from primary right through to postgraduate level....
- National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: All schools will reopen in September with no reduction in the teacher allocation already approved for the new academic year. We will continue to sustain and develop educational opportunities at all levels so education can continue to play its central role in the development of each individual and Ireland's economic and social well-being.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 267, 272 and 273 together. As the Deputy may 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. Applications for SNAs may be considered by...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: An application for the provision of temporary accommodation has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The application is under consideration at present and it is anticipated that a decision will be made in the matter and conveyed to the school very shortly.
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The transfer of decentralising posts to Athlone is well underway. Seventy five (75) posts have been relocated to Athlone and I expect another 10 posts to be relocated to Athlone during the remainder of July.
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an application for funding under the emergency works scheme from the school in question. A decision on the application will be made as soon as possible and the school will be advised of the outcome.
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has a strong record in developing low energy educational buildings. For the past nine years it has been using a process called the DART approach to develop sustainable and energy efficiency in educational buildings. This acronym focuses on four key areas, namely design, awareness, research and technology. Rather than develop a unique focus on energy design the Department of...
- Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The compulsory school starting age in a National School is 6 years of age. Enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places....
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 278 together. As the Deputy will be aware, a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 has been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special needs. The National Council...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of health services is a matter for the Health Services Executive (HSE) and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes. The Deputy may wish to raise the matter with my colleague the Minister for Health and Children or directly with the Health Service Executive.
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (9 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Emergency works grants are made available to primary and post-primary schools most in need of resources as a result of unforeseen emergencies of a capital nature that may arise during the school year. It is incumbent on the school to provide as much detail as possible to the Department on the nature of the emergency and the need for an emergency works grant to be paid to address the...