Results 1,341-1,360 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The average annual rental cost for a standard 80m2 temporary primary school classroom unit for 2007-08 school year was €15,428. The average cost for the same unit in 2008-09 was €15,125, a reduction of almost 2%. The cost per unit varies significantly depending on the location, size, type and age of each unit. Another factor which needs to be considered is that in 2907-08 the VAT rate...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have repeatedly stated my, and the Government's, commitment to supporting Protestant education while at the same time ensuring that funding arrangements for schools under Protestant management are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Indeed, it is in order to deal with the concerns expressed by some members of the Protestant community of the effect of changes to certain...

Written Answers — School Services Staff: School Services Staff (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has obtained the sanction of the Minister for Finance for an exemption from the staffing moratorium in respect of the caretaker post to which he refers. Accordingly, my Department has given the chief executive officer of Co. Kildare VEC approval to fill the post from 1 January 2010.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers was included in my announcement last year of 43 projects to proceed to tender and construction and is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. My Department received the stage 2b submission for this project from the design team in late November. An official from my Department met with a representative of the design team in mid-December...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I met with representatives of the school authority late last year to discuss the proposal to which the Deputy refers. Further details on the proposal were subsequently submitted to my Department and these are now under consideration. My Department will be in contact with the school authority when a decision has been reached in this matter.

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I wish to advise the Deputy that the sale has closed on the above mentioned site. The further progression of the proposed project will be considered in the context of the capital budget available to the Department for school buildings generally.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently out to tender. It is anticipated that the project will be back on site before Easter.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department has carried out a study of the country to identify the areas where, due to demographic changes, there may be a requirement for significant additional school provision at both primary and post-primary levels over the coming years. This study has been conducted using data from the Central Statistics Office, the General Register Office and the...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (20 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the board of management was recently authorised to proceed to tender. When the tender process is complete and assuming there are no issues arising, the project will progress to construction. With regard to the ancillary information requested by the Deputy I can confirm that the brief for the project is for a new 16 classroom school, a permanent site...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The school to which the Deputy refers has applied to my Department for capital funding for the provision of a new school building. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 986, 987, 989 to, 992, inclusive, 1037, 1067 and 1070 together. My Department provides funding for thirty eight projects in Local Drugs Task Force areas, including those projects specifically referred to by Deputies Broughan, Gogarty, McGrath and Upton. These projects, through a variety of programmes and activities, seek, in the main, to encourage young...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the new arrangements which I have recently put in place to promote Ireland as a centre for international education, Enterprise Ireland has been given operational responsibility, under my authority, for the marketing and promotion of the "Education Ireland" brand overseas and the development, promotion and marketing of international higher education. Its functions include: supporting...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is currently in the process of carrying out detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014/2015. Given the increase in the birth rate in recent years the initial focus of this analysis is on primary school accommodation...

Written Answers — School Building Projects: School Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department is in the process of carrying out detailed analysis of over 40 locations of highest population growth in order to identify the school accommodation requirements up to and including the school year 2014/2015. Cork City has been identified as one of those locations and detailed accommodation reports will be complete in the coming weeks. When the...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The supply teacher scheme was initially set up at primary level over 15 years ago at a time when schools had difficulty getting substitute teachers. The supply scheme operates on the basis of an additional full-time teacher being allocated to a school to cover certified sick leave absences in that school and a cluster of neighbouring schools. If the teacher is not required on a given day to...

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Board: Residential Institutions Redress Board (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established to make financial awards to persons, who, as children, suffered abuse in certain residential institutions. The operation of the Board is governed by the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 and, in accordance with the prescribed legislation, the Board is independent in the performance of its functions. I should...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The cost of the two Wexford primary schools completed in 2008, referred to by the Deputy is in the region of €8 million. Further accommodation comprising 8 classrooms, General Purpose Room and a Special Needs Unit was provided at one of the schools in 2009, and the cost for this will be in the region of €2.8 million.

Written Answers — Physical Education Facilities: Physical Education Facilities (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 998 and 999 together. The provision of playing pitches is not part of the specification for primary schools. However, in certain circumstances and where site conditions allow, the project scope may include the levelling and grassing of an area which schools may decide to use for playing fields. The two primary schools to which the Deputy refers were provided...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: A revised tender report, for the school to which the Deputy refers, was received recently by my Department and is currently being assessed. I expect my officials to be in contact with the Board of Management in the coming days authorising them to commence the award process.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)

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