Results 1,361-1,380 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: A total of â¬79m of my Department's capital budget in 2009 is being carried forward to 2010. Of the total amount, â¬72m is being allocated to primary schools' capital and the remainder of â¬7m to my Department's Information & Communications Technology Policy area towards payment of capital grants to schools as I announced towards the end of last year. The â¬72m additional funding in...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Building Projects: Higher Education Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: There was no capital carried forward from 2009 in respect of the higher education capital allocation of almost â¬200m.
- Written Answers — Public Private Partnerships: Public Private Partnerships (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: A total budget of â¬50.059m has been provided to cover the cost of Public Private Partnership projects in 2010. This is broken down as follows. A current allocation of â¬32.286m is provided to meet the unitary charges in 2010 in respect of the 5 Pilot Schools, National Maritime College, Cork School of Music and the 1st Schools Bundle which is due to become operation in Autumn 2010. A...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1005, 1006 and 1027 together. From September 2010, as announced in the Budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance for all schemes, and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses, will be ineligible for student support maintenance grants. The cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The agreed criteria for the award of incremental credit to Special Needs Assistants is set out in Circular 0139/2006. In accordance with the circular the person, to whom the Deputy refers, does not meet the qualification requirements for the award of incremental credit. The person has been informed of the criteria and the outcome of their application.
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The number of staff employed in my Department is 1359 (1271.13 whole time equivalent). As well as all administrative staff, these figures include non-administrative/professional grades e.g. staff of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and of the Inspectorate. My Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, requires that all professional and technical...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: Under Clause 2.2 and 2.3 of the Higher Education Grants Scheme 2009 and Clause 2.1 and 2.2 of the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme 2009 provides: - 2.2 A candidate shall not be eligible to hold a grant under this Scheme if he/she holds: (i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another Local Authority, a Vocational Education Committee or the Department of Education and Science,...
- Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Grangegorman Development Agency Act 2005 provides for a total membership of 15 in the Agency including the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer. There is no specific provision for a student or staff representative from the Dublin Institute of Technology on the Agency. The legislation does provide that 2 ordinary members of the Agency will be nominated by the President of the Dublin...
- Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1011 and 1012 together. My Department recently 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: Currently there are two major new school projects in Co Meath which have been approved to proceed towards tender and construction. Scoil Nais Mhuire Naofa in Enfield is at an advanced stage of architectural planning and a stage 2(b) (Detailed Design) submission is awaited from the school's design team. Scoil Eoin in Navan is at stage 2(b) of architectural planning. An addendum to the...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The progression of the project referred to by the Deputy is contingent on the receipt of the necessary statutory approvals and the completion by the school Patron of the acquisition of the site for the proposed new school building. Following a request by the Local Authority for Additional Information on the planning application, the required information has been submitted recently by my...
- Written Answers — Public Procurement: Public Procurement (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that in all cases of purchasing by schools using public monies, public procurement rules must be followed. The purchase of ICT equipment and associated products and services by the public sector was identified under the National Public Procurement Policy Framework as one of those areas where economies could be achieved. EU Directive 2004/18/EC provides for the use...
- Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1016, 1019, 1020 and 1045 together. My Department gives support and funding to a number of VECs to operate Outdoor Education Centres. There are 12 centres in all. The Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) lodged a claim with my Department for a substantial pay increase on behalf of the Directors of each of these Centres. Following protracted negotiations, my...
- Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy is aware, the purpose of the Government decision to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector is to facilitate a permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff serving in the public sector and is intended to contribute significant and ongoing savings to the Exchequer. In applying this moratorium generally, teaching and research activities in...
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for the details supplied...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 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 — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The progression of the project referred to by the Deputy is contingent on the receipt of the necessary statutory approvals and the completion by the school Patron of the acquisition of the site for the proposed new school building. Following a request by the Local Authority for Additional Information on the planning application, the required information has been submitted recently by my...
- Written Answers — Victims of Child Abuse: Victims of Child Abuse (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1024 and 1039 together. My Department has provided funding for the past number of years to the Federation of Irish Societies and to the Outreach Centres in the UK for survivors of residential abuse. The current position is that my Department has sought proposals for 2010 from the Outreach Centres in the UK and from Irish based support groups. Once all such...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for Major Capital funding. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and has been assigned a Band 1 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major...
- Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Revised Programme for Government provides for a number of specific measures in the education sector including a commitment to no further increase in the pupil teacher ratio for the lifetime of the Government, 500 teaching posts over the next three years, funding sufficient to expand NEPs psychologist numbers to 210, standard capitation grants to schools being maintained and an extra...