Results 7,561-7,580 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Standardised Tests: School Standardised Tests (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department issued Circular 0138/2006 in December 2006 to primary schools requesting that they ensure that standardised testing is implemented on an annual basis for all pupils in English reading and Mathematics at the end of first class or the beginning of second class, and at the end of fourth class or the beginning of fifth class, beginning in the calendar year 2007. The introduction...

Written Answers — Educational Services: Educational Services (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together. As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, and 471 together. As the Deputies will be aware, a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 have 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...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Government has significantly exceeded its commitment to provide 1,800 Language Support Teachers, as outlined in the Programme for Government. My Department has already allocated almost 2,000 language support teachers in the current school year. The corresponding figures for the 2006/07 and 2005/06 school years are approximately over 1,400 and over 800 respectively. Additional supports...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Department of Education and Science provides for English language training for adult immigrants (English for Speakers of Other Languages, ESOL) under its adult literacy budget. Funds are allocated to VECs who are the main statutory providers of ESOL training. Currently, there are approximately 100 VEC colleges, 10 Prison Education providers, 100 Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) colleges,...

Written Answers — Adult Literacy: Adult Literacy (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Between 1997 and 2007, funding for adult literacy has increased from €1m to €30m and in the same period, the number of participants has increased from 5,000 to 44,000. There are also a number schemes targeted at people with special literacy needs, e.g. deaf people and a literacy service in Irish for people in Gaeltacht areas. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment makes...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Back to Education Initiative (BTEI) provides part-time Further Education programmes for adults to give them an opportunity to combine a return to learning with family, work and other responsibilities. Programmes are offered on a part-time basis, in the mornings, afternoons, evenings or at weekends. There is a commitment in the programme for government to expand the number of BTEI places...

Written Answers — Third Level Education: Third Level Education (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Over the seven years of the National Development Plan (NDP) €13 billion will be invested under the Human Capital Priority to develop the capacity of the higher education sector to meet a number of key national objectives, including that of increasing the numbers of students participating in the sector. The focus will continue from the previous NDP on measures targeting the increased...

Written Answers — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The implementation of the commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce a new system of means-tested free fees for approved part-time courses will be considered over the life time of the Government. In relation to the commitment on part time fees in paragraph 7.9 of Towards 2016, my Department and the HEA have initiated the process of developing proposals for a targeted fund, to be...

Written Answers — Student Transfers: Student Transfers (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 2007, in consultation with stakeholders, the National Qualifications Authority Ireland reviewed the extent to which new and existing transfer and progression routes are operating effectively within the National Framework of Qualifications. This review concluded that the traditional web of transfer and progression arrangements prior to the Framework is gradually evolving to take account of...

Written Answers — Higher Education Institutes: Higher Education Institutes (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, an envelope of close to €2 billion has been provided for investment in higher education infrastructure. At the end of the first year of the programme, implementation of this measure is progressing satisfactorily with 2007 funding used to deliver additional capacity for apprentices in 4 institutes of technology as well as equipping institutes to...

Written Answers — Student Representation: Student Representation (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The commitment under the Programme for Government to appoint a further student representative to the HEA can be accommodated under existing legislation and will be considered when future vacancies arise. The composition of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is set out in Section 6 of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999, and provides for one representative of...

Written Answers — Teacher Training: Teacher Training (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: Teacher Education Section has provided for a comprehensive system of continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers in the area of special educational needs. Central to this is the "Special Education Support Service" (SESS). The Teacher Education Section of my Department established the Special Education Support Service (SESS) in September 2003. The service consolidates co-ordinates,...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's policy is to seek to encourage and facilitate the participation of people with disabilities in Further Education by making available the supports required to enable them to access the various programmes on offer. The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), while primarily targeting the unemployed, also facilitates people with disabilities. Under VTOS, full-time...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: A tender report for the project referred to by the Deputy is currently under examination by my Department. The contract for the project has not yet been awarded. 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...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is proposed to provide an extension to the school to which the Deputy refers. Revised schedules of accommodation have been forwarded to the VEC for acceptance. Once the schedules have been accepted, the question of the appointment of the design team will arise and this will be considered in the context of the Department's school building and modernisation programme.

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: To date applications have been received to invoke Section 9 of the Universities Act, 1997 from Waterford Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. These applications raise significant issues regarding Government policy towards higher education, in particular the existing roles of the Universities and Institutes of Technology which have...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application for funding for the provision of temporary accommodation has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy. The assessment of the application is nearing completion. The school authorities will be informed of the position shortly.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: In April, 2008, my Department notified the school in question that based on its enrolments it has an over-allocation of 5 hours under the General Allocation Model for the 07/08 school year. My Department is liaising with the school on this matter and given that this issue has only recently come to light it is not intended to reduce the school's allocation for this school year. All primary...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (13 May 2008)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that 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 to schools to support children with special needs. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO...