Results 961-980 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (18 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has received an application for additional accommodation from the school to which the Deputy refers. The application is under consideration and a decision will issue to the school authority in due course.

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and making arrangements for the marking of work presented for examination. In view of this I have forwarded...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (18 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the holding of examinations, determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations and issuing the result of examinations. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (18 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: In response to the Deputy's question, there are no cloud computing systems in use in the Department.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Planning Permission was received for the new school building in 2009. A delegation from the school and its design team recently attended a briefing by my Department on the completion of stage 2(b) of architectural planning. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this project was included in my...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the Remote Area Grant scheme, provision exists for the payment of grants in respect of pupils whose normal place of residence is outside the range of public transport services to a school providing suitable free second-level education. This scheme of grants was introduced in conjunction with the free post-primary education scheme in the 1967/68 school year. The purpose of the scheme is...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department disburses the Protestant Block grant, which amounted to €6.5 million in 2009. It covers capitation, tuition and boarding costs and is distributed through the Secondary Education Committee, established by the Protestant churches involved in the provision of education. This fund ensures that necessitous Protestant children can attend a school of their choice. The boarding...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers has been tendered and the Tender Report forwarded to my Department. Following an assessment of this report some issues have arisen which require further clarification by the VEC. Once this clarification process is complete and assuming that no further issues arise; the project will progress to the construction stage. It is anticipated that construction...

Written Answers — School Closures: School Closures (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the Special Group on Public Services and Expenditure was established to examine current expenditure programmes in each Government Department and to make recommendations to Government for ensuring a return to sustainable public finances. I can confirm that there are no plans to undertake an immediate large-scale programme of small school closures at this time. The...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The closing date for the receipt of applications under the Summer Works Scheme 2010 was 27 November 2009. Following an assessment process, successful projects will be selected for funding from all valid and approved applications on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria published with the Scheme. In keeping with the timetable published in the governing Circular...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222, 223 and 227 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department operates a published prioritisation criteria system for major capital projects. Projects are assigned a band rating in accordance with these criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the Education Partners. A band rating reflects the type of works needed and the urgency...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers has been tendered and the Tender Report forwarded to my Department. Following an assessment of this report some issues have arisen which require further clarification by the VEC. Once this clarification process is complete and assuming that no further issues arise; the project will progress to the construction stage. It is anticipated that construction...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent agency with responsibility for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The Deputy will also be aware that the NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: It is understood from the Department of Social and Family Affairs that some 6,559 of their clients were in receipt of the BTEA Third Level Option in 2008/09 and 10,351 in 2009/10. However, not all BTEA recipients qualify for support under the student grant schemes. In relation to VTOS allowances, only those students pursuing PLC courses in dispersed mode are eligible to apply for a...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Third Level Maintenance Grant Schemes, are administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees' on behalf of my Department. The arrangement for the payment of grants and refunds of student service charges under the grant schemes are a matter for the administering authorities. Some 30 students who have been awarded a maintenance grant by County Meath VEC are awaiting...

Written Answers — International Students: International Students (17 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have recently established a high level group on international education, as part of the new framework for the promotion, co-ordination and regulation of international education in Ireland. The Government has requested that the High Level Group develop an action plan for enhanced performance, which should address the full range of issues relevant to the recruitment of international students...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (16 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: On 5th February 2010 there were 35,705 active members of the Primary School Teachers Pension Scheme and 23,847 active members of the Secondary, Community and Comprehensive School Teachers Pension Scheme. The figures include permanent, temporary whole-time, part-time and substitute teachers. On the 5th February, 2010 there were 11,147 retired Primary Teaches in receipt of pension payment and...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (16 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I will arrange for the details being requested by the deputy to be forwarded to him. The pension scheme for first and second level teachers are unfunded defined benefit schemes. There is no pension fund nor are contributions by teachers invested. Like many other public sector pension schemes, the teachers schemes operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. Pension contributions are credited as...

Written Answers — Commissions of Inquiry: Commissions of Inquiry (16 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position regarding the persons referred to is that they were taken off pay on various dates between 30th June 2009 and the 18th December 2009. As a result of end of year adjustments, some further payments were made on the 24th December 2009.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Higher Education Grants Scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Each year, the scheme specifies a list of approved institutions for grants purposes. The approved institutions mainly comprise of publicly-funded third level institutions. Grants for undergraduate students may be portable to publicly-funded colleges in other EU Member...