Results 1,161-1,180 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: No office accommodation was rented or acquired by the Office of Public Works (OPW) for my Department as a result of the 2003 decentralisation programme. A new office block was built on the state owned campus in Cornamaddy, Athlone which has been occupied by the Department since the summer of 2008. 208 staff were accommodated in the new building, 88 of whom decentralised from the...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (3 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The range of information requested by the Deputy is substantial and as this information is not held centrally by my Department it would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular agency then officials in my Department will request the agency concerned to provide the relevant information insofar as it is possible given the...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has no record of having received an application from the school in question for funding of this nature. However, schools have funds for ongoing works of a minor nature and it is the responsibility of the school authority to decide on the best use of these funds in light of the needs of the school. In addition, a school may apply for funding under the under the Summer Works...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 631, 632, 671 and 672 together. As at 22 January 2010 Cork County Council had received a total of 2,125 grant applications for the academic year 2009/2010. A decision has been reached on 975 applications. A further 1,012 applicants have been requested to supply additional information. A total of 138 applications have yet to be assessed. As at 22 January...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The renewed Programme for Government provides for 500 teaching posts to schools over the next three years over and above additional posts that will arise due to demographic increases. Following consultation with the education partners clear and transparent criteria have been agreed for the allocation of these posts. One hundred posts will be allocated to each sector, primary and...

Written Answers — Higher Educational Grants: Higher Educational Grants (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The decision on eligibility for student grants is a matter for the relevant assessing authority - i.e. the Local Authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that following the establishment of a Digital Reference Content framework agreement, World Book and Britannica Online are now available to schools through the Scoilnet website and within the Schools Broadband Network. Each of these online encyclopaedias contain a diverse range of learning objects including text, research aids, video clips, 3D simulations and other...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 637 to 639, inclusive, together. The Deputy is aware the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) intends to introduce a structured appeals process whereby schools and parents, where appropriate, may seek to appeal the decision of a Special Educational Needs Organiser in relation to the allocation of resources. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 640 and 641 together. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 provides for the establishment of the Special Education Appeals Board (SEAB), to hear and determine appeals under the act. The appellant sections of the Act have not yet commenced. As the Deputy is aware, the commitment in the renewed Programme for Government is...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the level of learning support/resource teaching (LSRT) resources allocated to the school in question. The school has the support of one learning support resource (LSRT) post, 5 hours of which are shared with another school. According to information available to my Department the enrolment in the school was 44 pupils in the 2005/06 school year and...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 646 together. As the Deputy will 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 educational needs. The NCSE operates within my...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy, that the expenditure to date for the campus is approximately €20.1 million of which €5.3 million relates to site purchase costs. This site was purchased by the VEC. The remainder relates to the expenditure incurred to date for the provision of school buildings referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is at present carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools. The purpose of this review is to ensure that all SNA posts meet the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department's...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I understand that the school that the Deputy is referring to, requested that their satellite broadband connection be removed due to building works in September last. When the building work was completed the satellite connection was not reinstated immediately as my Department had commenced the award of new contracts under Phase II of the Schools Broadband Programme, and this school was due to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 650 together. My Department provides funding for thirty eight projects in Local Drugs Task Force areas, including the projects specifically referred to by Deputies Mitchell and Barrett. These projects, through a variety of programmes and activities, seek, in the main, to encourage young people not to engage in drug-taking. My Department originally...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The building project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and has been assigned a band 1.1 rating. An enabling works contract to provide a new sewage plant and filtration bed at the school was approved in 2009. The progression of all large-scale building projects, including this project, is dependent on prioritisation of the competing...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for major capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 2 rating. The priority attaching to individual projects is determined by published prioritisation criteria, which were formulated following consultation with the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: There are no EU Directives which require to be transposed into primary or secondary legislation by my Department.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The new site for the school referred to by the Deputy was acquired by the school Patron from a local developer as a result of a land swap. My Department has funded the construction of the new school. However, the project scope was predicated on the assurance that certain site development works and appropriate site access from the main road were to be carried out by the developer such as...

Written Answers — Schools Patronage: Schools Patronage (2 Feb 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is considering a number of broad policy issues relating to the recognition process for second level schools and the application from Educate Together to be recognised as a patron body at second level is being fully examined within the context of the relevant legal, financial and other factors. At a meeting last year between officials from my Department and representatives from...