Results 1,421-1,440 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Health and Safety Issues: Health and Safety Issues (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: While Boards of Management have the legal responsibility for the management of schools, I took a view that given the exceptionally difficult and widespread weather conditions that were being forecasted at that time, a central and early decision was required in relation to school closures. In making that decision, my overriding concern was about child safety and providing certainty to parents...
- 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 — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 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 with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department's Circular 07/02, are properly met....
- 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 (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. I have arranged for...
- 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 suffered damage due to frozen or burst pipes during the recent inclement weather should, in the first instance, contact their insurance companies. Community and...
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that â¬22m in ICT grants was issued to primary schools in November last, with the priority on ensuring that there is a teaching computer and digital projector in every classroom. Schools have been advised by letter that this funding must be used, in the first instance, towards equipping each classroom with a teaching computer with wireless mouse and keyboard, and a...
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy will be aware that in November last year the Minister published the 'Smart Schools = Smart Economy' report, which is the new action plan on integrating ICT in schools, produced by the joint advisory group established by the Minister in 2009. This report builds on the earlier Strategy Group report, 'Investing Effectively in ICT in Schools' and both reports make recommendations...
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: As part of the expansion of the Permanent Accommodation Scheme 2007, a grant of â¬540,000 was allocated to Sandford National School to enable the Board of Management to provide additional permanent accommodation of 3 classrooms and 3 resource rooms. The project is now completed and the full grant of â¬540,000 was paid to the school in 2009.
- Written Answers — Ethics in Public Office: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: Under the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995, any gift with a value in excess of â¬650 must be surrendered to the State and declared in the Minister's Statement of Registerable Interests submitted to the Standards in Public Office Commission. Since my appointment in 2008 as Minister for Education and Science, I have not received any gift with a value in excess of that amount. The...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: A reply has issued to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy by the Higher Education- Equity Of Access Unit of my Department.
- Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1092 and 1093 together. I am aware of the recommendations of the Children's Mental Health Coalition. The Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme is a mandatory part of the curriculum in primary schools and in junior cycle since 2003 and is designed to promote positive mental health. It is already supported by comprehensive teacher guidelines...
- 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 major capital funding to provide ancillary accommodation. The application has been assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 3 rating. Information in respect of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for major capital...
- Written Answers — Third Level Charges: Third Level Charges (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The student services charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services. The range of student services in question may include such facilities as on-campus medical and counselling facilities for students, access and disability services, careers office services, student facilities, student clubs and societies. All students...
- 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 major capital funding. 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 works, including the project referred...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: Financial assistance is available to students under the Third Level Student Support Schemes, which are administered by the Local Authorities and Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department. Students who are entering approved courses, for the first time, are eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means, nationality and previous...
- Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is established under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 as the statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The CEO post is provided for under Section 36 of the Act with responsibility to manage and control the administration and business of the Board and is accountable to the Board. The term of appointment for the CEO of the NEWB...
- 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 — School Staffing: School Staffing (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The arrangements for the probation of newly qualified teachers have evolved differently at primary and post-primary level and within different types of school at post-primary level. At primary level, satisfactory completion of the probationary period requires the newly qualified teacher to receive a favourable inspection report on his/her work from the Inspectorate of my Department. In...
- Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that an application for assistive technology in respect of the pupil in question has been received in my Department. This application is currently being processed and a decision will issue to the school shortly.
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (19 Jan 2010)
Batt O'Keeffe: The 700 schools referred to by the Deputy were identified in a survey conducted by my Department in 2005. The data from this survey has since enabled, my Department, through its Teacher Education Section, to make additional resources available to provide targeted training in the Stay Safe Programme to these particular schools. To date more than 500 of the 700 identified have accessed...