Results 1,401-1,420 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

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...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. Representatives from the school and the design team attended a stage 2(b) briefing which was held in my Department's offices in Tullamore on 12 November 2009. Thereafter, a letter issued to the school authorising the design team to prepare and submit stage 2b documentation (detailed design/tender...

Written Answers — Language Schools: Language Schools (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: To date, the English language sector has been regulated on a voluntary basis by the Advisory Council for English Language Schools, a company limited by guarantee which operated under the aegis of my Department. As I announced last year, under the new framework for promotion and regulation of international education, the forthcoming amalgamated qualifications agency, and, in the interim,...

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...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The statutory framework for the Higher Education Grant Scheme, as set out in the Local authorities (Higher Education Grants Acts, 1969 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. The statutory framework provides that "persons comply with such other requirements as may from time to time be prescribed by...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1062, 1063 and 1079 together. The new post primary school project for Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, is one of eight schools which I approved for inclusion in the 3rd Bundle of schools to be procured via Public Private Partnership. This bundle is in the pre procurement stage. Detailed output specifications and Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) are being finalised and...

Written Answers — Schools Refurbishment: Schools Refurbishment (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The timetable for the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2010 has been published as part of the governing Circular Letter for the Scheme. This Circular Letter (0057/2009) is available on my Department's website www.education.ie. In accordance with the timetable, it is my intention to publish a list of successful SWS applicants in the Spring.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information requested by the Deputy has been supplied to my Department by the local authorities and the Vocational Education Committees. The table displays the number of new applications received as at the 8th January 2010, the number of new applications in respect of which processing had commenced as at the 27th November 2009 and as at the 8th January 2010, as the information was not...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department is actively engaged in a programme of administrative and legislative reform of student grants. A business process re-engineering exercise is being conducted in respect of the administration of student grants. This exercise, being undertaken as part of the Government's Transforming Public Services initiative, will involve an analysis of the existing schemes, services,...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Thedetermination of the expenditure allocation for my Department for 2010, as set out in Budget 2010, included consideration of the recommendations made in the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes. The gross expenditure allocation for my Department for 2010, which at €8.888 billion represents a reduction of some 5% over the provisional outturn for...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The total receipts from the 3 income strands in 2009 were Examination Entry Fees €9,125,739.00 Appeal Fees € 514,027.00 Fees for Certified Statement of Results € 71,909.00 Total Receipts: €9,711,675.00 Given that the fee rates for the 2010 Examinations are the same as in 2009 and that candidate numbers are expected to be broadly similar, it is expected that revenues next year will be...

Written Answers — Trade Union Subscriptions: Trade Union Subscriptions (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: Trade union subscriptions are deducted for teachers employed in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools from my Department's payrolls where a teacher gives their union a mandate for the deduction of fees from salary. This is referred to as a deduction at source arrangement. Teachers employed in community Colleges and VEC schools are paid directly by the relevant VECs and...

Written Answers — Site Acquisitions: Site Acquisitions (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Local Authority recently advised my officials that the negotiations with the land owner have concluded and they are now exchanging Contracts to complete the sale of a site. My Department, as sought by the Local Authority, has arranged to provide the funding to the Council to enable the transaction to be concluded.

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

Batt O'Keeffe: A project for the school to which the Deputy refers is currently at the final stage of appointing a Design Team. The school's preferred design team has been approved by my Department following an open tender competition and contracts for appointment of the design team have been forwarded to the school for completion by the school and the design team. Following the appointment of the design...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. This project has a band 1.1 rating and includes the provision of an enhanced community facility in conjunction with Fingal County Council. The Stage 2a submission has recently been approved and the Design Team has been authorised to begin work on Stage 2(b) (Detailed Design). Approval has also...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning. County Dublin VEC and their design team are currently finalising an application for planning permission and this is expected to be lodged shortly. The proposed building project will be considered in the context of the Department's multi-annual School Building and Modernisation Programme for 2010 and...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: The person referred to by the Deputy has had an application for a contract of indefinite duration post rejected by my Department. The person was employed in a permanent capacity as a clerk typist in a school under the terms of the 1978 scheme. In the 2005/06 school year she applied for a career break to pursue an educational course and was granted the career break. The career break scheme...

Written Answers — State Examinations: State Examinations (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: A revised syllabus in Physical Education as a non-examinable subject at junior cycle was implemented, phased over a 3 year period, beginning in 2003, supported by a comprehensive programme of professional development for teachers. No date was agreed for implementation at senior cycle, and issues concerning the inclusion of PE as an examination subject at Leaving Certificate level remain to...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (19 Jan 2010)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for ensuring that child protection requirements are complied with rests with the school board, the principal and the staff of each school. The Inspectorate of my Department undertakes whole-school evaluations in line with its quality assurance remit set out in Section 13 of the Education Act 1998. The WSE process involves evaluating schools under...

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

Batt O'Keeffe: Emergency works grants are made available to those schools most in need of resources as a result of unforeseen emergencies of a capital nature that may arise during the school year. Primary, Secondary and VEC schools which have to carry out repairs to their plumbing and heating systems due to damage caused by the recent inclement weather should in the first instance contact their insurance...