Results 7,081-7,100 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was established under statute to investigate child abuse in institutions in the State, to enable persons who have suffered such abuse to give evidence to committees of the Commission and to prepare and publish a report of findings and recommendations considered appropriate for the alleviation of the effects of past child abuse and for the protection...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The provisional total for enrolment at Primary level was 486,700 in September 2007. My Department is considering the results of the recently published Population and Labour Force projections by the Central Statistics Office in April and will publish updated enrolment figures soon. I will forward these to the Deputy once they have been completed.

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In general, individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, under Safety, Health and Welfare at Work legislation for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care. It is the responsibility of individual school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. The Statement should identify potential hazards, assess the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The number of vacancies in primary schools including those at principal teacher level varies throughout the school year and are managed at local level by individual school Boards of Management. Under the terms of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management of a primary school is responsible for the recruitment, selection and appointment of all teachers to a school, including principal...

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Primary Administration Section of my Department has received correspondence from about 13 primary schools in relation to the water charges issue and the additional cost pressure that this puts on them. General cost pressures on all schools, including those arising from water charges, are being dealt with in the context of the Government commitment to improve funding for the day-to-day...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware that there are more females than males entering the teaching profession and believe that it is important to attract more men into teaching for a number of reasons, not least of which is the positive role models that teachers provide in children's lives and the desirability of having both male and female role models in our schools. I believe that teaching is an attractive profession...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be sent to him shortly.

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its time-table and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The rules for allocating teaching resources provide that where...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be sent to him.

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be sent to him shortly.

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The cost of advertising, which includes, for example, expenditure on the following significant categories, invitations to tender for school building projects, staff appointments in the education sector, invitations to attend local hearings, invitations to forward submissions on education related schemes/projects, and promotional campaigns, is not a separate sub-head, with a specified annual...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Schools Broadband Access Programme is being undertaken in partnership with industry in the context of a Government — IBEC/TIF (Telecommunications and Internet Federation) Agreement to provide local broadband connectivity to schools. This voluntary Agreement provides for the establishment of a three year €18m joint Government-IBEC/TIF Fund, with industry contributing €5m per annum...

Written Answers — Medical Training: Medical Training (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) is an independent statutory agency under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children and it is not open to me to intervene in its affairs or decisions. I understand that the NCSS has announced a preferred bidder for the provision of laboratory testing services for the National Cervical Screening Programme. Pending completion of...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together. It is open to the Board of Management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeal Board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule, Circular 0010/2008, available...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An issue arose as to whether part of the school building referred to by the Deputy is a listed building requiring the appointment of a conservation architect. This issue is being clarified by my Department at present and the school will be contacted in the matter as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is at an early 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 on an on-going basis in the context of my Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme. However, in light of...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The details sought by the Deputy are given in the following tabular statement. The progression of all large scale building projects, including these projects, from initial design stage through to construction phase 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...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Scheme: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under Statute in 2002 and is governed by the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. The Board was established to make fair and reasonable payments to persons who, as children, were abused while residents in Industrial Schools, Reformatories and other institutions subject to State regulation or inspection and who were...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Office of Public Works (OPW), which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to site acquisitions generally, has been asked to source a suitable site for the school in question. My Department is advised that the Health Service Executive (HSE) have formally conveyed its approval to dispose of lands either to South Tipperary County Council or directly to...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (5 Jun 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy applied for works under the 2008 Summer Works Scheme. Since the Summer Works Scheme was introduced in 2004, over 3,000 projects costing in excess of €300 million have been completed. With so many smaller projects having been completed over the past few years, the particular emphasis in 2008 is on providing sufficient school places in...