Results 6,581-6,600 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am glad to inform the Deputy that my Department currently has 26 school projects due for completion for the 2008 school year. None of these schools will be heated by storage heating. All new schools are built to the specifications set out in the Departments technical Guidelines. These guidelines encourage the design team to take a complete design team approach from project conception....

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post primary education in the late 1960's. For school planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post primary education centre with one or more post primary schools. The intention was, and continues to be, that these defined districts would...

Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Mainstream staffing in primary schools is determined by reference to school enrolments on 30th September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. This is a transparent and clear way of ensuring that all schools are treated consistently and fairly and know...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for funding under the emergency works scheme has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy to carry out special needs access works. The application is under examination at present and this is expected to be completed shortly. The school will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are no plans by Ministers, advisers or officials of my Department to visit Beijing on official departmental business during the period of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. However, if the Deputy has any particular publications in mind I would be happy to have my officials obtain the relevant details and communicate them to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education 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 the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Council for Special Education 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 the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is the intention of my Department to provide a new building for the school to which the Deputy refers. This is being co-funded by another agency. The project is in the early stages of architectural planning. In this regard, a Stage 1 submission has been submitted by the school authority. This is being assessed by the Department's Technical and Professional staff. When this assessment has...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In March 2005, my Department gave TRBDI approval to proceed with seeking expressions of interest from private sector property developers to determine what could be provided at the estate referred to by the Deputy in exchange for the Institute's current property in Clonmel. I understand that negotiations with a preferred bidder are continuing.

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was established in 1999 and was subsequently put on a statutory basis under the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act 2000. The terms of reference of the Commission are set out in the 2000 Act as amended by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005. The purpose of the Commission is to investigate child abuse in...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. The commencement and progression of all large scale building projects from initial design stage through to construction phase, including this project, will be considered on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's Multi-Annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. I am currently...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: 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 the NCSE where a pupil has a significant medical need for such...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I assume the Deputy is referring to Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) employed by individual school authorities, but paid through my Department's centralised payroll. Included here for the Deputy's information are a copy of the sick leave and pension provisions and also a copy of a recent circular on holiday pay for Special Needs Assistants. All school employees paid via my Department's...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (9 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department has been very aware of the issues raised in relation to the adjustments to pay due to certain part-time teachers under the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 and has worked closely with the school management bodies and teacher unions to ensure that the legislation is implemented and applied to teachers in a fair and...

Written Answers — Medical Education: Medical Education (8 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 619 together. A programme of reform and expansion of undergraduate medical education and training commenced in 2006 following the acceptance by the Government of the report entitled "Medical Education in Ireland A New Direction" (the Fottrell Report) published jointly by the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Education and Science....

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (8 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Grangegorman Development Agency was established under Section 8 of the Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005. The general aim of the Agency is to oversee the development of the lands at Grangegorman on behalf of the Departments of Education and Science, Health and Children, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Health Services Executive. The principal functions of the Agency is the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 621 and 664 together. The Deputy will be aware of the Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network. This facilitates access to individualised...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (8 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Ms. Deirdre McDonnell is currently assigned to the post of Policy Adviser and was assigned to this role on 30th May 2008. Ms. McDonnell is a Civil Servant on a salary of €101,468 per annum. The salary is in accordance with the Department of Finance Instructions relating to the Appointment of Ministerial Private Office Staff.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are currently 4 staff working in my Department's Press Office, with 2 vacancies to be filled. The grades of these officers are as follows: 1 Higher Executive Officer; 2 Executive Officers; 1 Clerical Officer. The vacancies are at Press Adviser and Higher Executive Officer level. The salaries paid to the officers are in accordance with the Department of Finance salary scales for the...