Results 6,621-6,640 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 662 together. My Department has received correspondence from the school referred to by the Deputy on the extent of the school catchment area. The acquisition of the site for the school in question will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to my Department for school buildings generally. I am not in a position to say at this...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: In relation to the fire damage at the school to which the Deputy refers, I understand the school authorities are pursuing the refurbishment with their Insurance Company and my Department has no involvement in grant-aiding same. The Department's Technical Guidance Documents which sets the benchmark for low energy design in schools are clearly focused on energy efficiency and are based on solid...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department provides grant-aid towards the provision of temporary school accommodation to the management authorities of education providers where it is established that a need for such temporary accommodation exists. Generally, where primary schools require temporary accommodation, the Board of Management is responsible for acquiring temporary accommodation and the rental contract is...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: On the 1st February last my predecessor announced a list of major projects that will commence construction during 2008 and 2009. The announcement included details of the 18 large scale building projects, 15 primary and 3 post-primary, approved for construction and a number of primary school projects in rapidly developing areas. Details of the projects approved can be viewed under the Press...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: 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 education programmes, fully qualified professional...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: An application for an extension has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy and an assessment of the long term needs of the school has been concluded. 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...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase the number of primary teachers by at least 4000 and on that basis to make further progress on reducing class sizes. Budget 2008 provided my Department with â¬4.6 billion or â¬380 million extra for teacher pay and pensions. This was a very substantial level of additional investment in the terms of the economic environment on...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase the number of primary teachers by at least 4000 and on that basis to make further progress on reducing class sizes. Budget 2008 provided my Department with â¬4.6 billion or â¬380 million extra for teacher pay and pensions. This was a very substantial level of additional investment in the terms of the economic environment on...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: Financial assistance is available to students under the Third Level Student Support Schemes, which are administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department. Students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means, nationality and previous...
- Written Answers — Schools Amalgamation: Schools Amalgamation (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: An amalgamation of the three schools referred to by the Deputy has been agreed. The provision of a post-primary school building to facilitate the amalgamation is included in the second bundle of schools on my Departments Public Private Partnership Programme. This bundle consists of Kildare Town Community School, Bantry Community College, Athboy Community School, Wicklow Town Community...
- Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I would like to assure the Deputy that the matter of site acquisition for the school to which he refers is under detailed consideration and a reply will issue to the Manager of South Dublin County Council as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government commits to ensuring early intervention for pre-school children with special educational needs. This commitment is being addressed in the context of the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004 (EPSEN Act) and the Disability Act 2005. My Department is now at an advanced stage in finalising...
- Written Answers — Capitation Grants: Capitation Grants (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second level system. At the core of all arrangements is a reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding. My Department provides funding to secondary schools by way of per capita grants, which affords schools considerable flexibility in the use of these resources to...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: 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 education programmes, fully qualified professional...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the programme for Government, a Developing Areas Unit was set up in my Department to focus on the school accommodation needs of rapidly developing areas, including Enniscorthy. The main emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in these developing areas, as well as delivering improvements in the quality of existing primary and post-primary school accommodation...
- Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the junior school in this area. The position generally is that schools have flexibility in the way in which they assign pupils and teachers to classes and my Department does not allocate teachers to specific classes or age groups. The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th September of...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school 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. Data submitted to the Department by the Board of Management of the school indicates that the...
- Written Answers — Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school 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. Data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school indicates that the...
- Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: 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. However, in light of current competing demands on the capital budget of the Department, it is not possible to...
- Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (8 Jul 2008)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Institutes of Technology are statutory bodies established under the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Under the terms of these Acts, the governance and day-to-day activities of the Institutes, including the accreditation of courses, are matters for which the Management of the Institutes are responsible. It would, therefore, not be appropriate for me to intervene in this matter....