Results 1,601-1,620 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (3 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning. A number of representations from members of the local community were received by my Department in the last few days. I met with a delegation in May 2009 regarding the school's building project. The delegation included members of the school's Board of Management, local political...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (3 Dec 2009)

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 — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (3 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question of enrolment in individual schools is the responsibility of the managerial authority of those schools. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking places. This may result, however, in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. It is the responsibility of the managerial...

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (3 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Forward Planning Section of my Department utilises the latest in GIS technology to assist in planning school requirements in the future. The Geographical Information System contains information on all schools in the country, primary and post primary level, geo-coded to their location. The information is then linked to the relevant demographic information for those areas - typically the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (3 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: In 1998, in recognition of the pivotal contribution made by US Senator George J. Mitchell to the Northern Ireland peace process, the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme was established and the Government agreed to contribute an endowment of IR£2 million to the Programme. The purpose of the Programme is to enable highly qualified American students to attend third level institutions on the...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (3 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 255, inclusive, together. The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of teachers paid pass or honours degree allowances and teaching the specific subjects referred to is not available from my Departments payroll databases. However, there were six thousand nine hundred and eighty two teachers employed in secondary community or...

Written Answers — Training Programmes: Training Programmes (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Institutes of Technology have developed a new education programme for redundant apprentices, who cannot otherwise secure the job placements required in order to complete their normal apprenticeship programme. The programme focuses on developing core skills in maths, ICT and business in order to facilitate students progressing to other higher education programmes or to completing their...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers made an application to my Department in February 2008 for large scale capital funding for a classroom, a resource room, a GP room and ancillary facilities. The application has been assessed in accordance with the published prioritisation criteria for large scale building projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Under the terms of my Department's Higher Education Grants Scheme, maintenance grants are not payable to candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree and are pursuing a second undergraduate degree. Similarly tuition fees, under the Free Fees Initiative, are not payable in respect of a second period of college attendance on a course at the same level. These restrictions apply to...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Dec 2009)

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. Ennis in Co. Clare has been identified as one of those locations. When the required reports have been completed for these initial areas...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (2 Dec 2009)

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 — Third Level Fees: Third Level Fees (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position is that there is a distinction between the criteria which determines eligibility under my Department's free fees schemes, and the criteria by which individual third level institutions establish the rate of tuition fee to be charged, in cases where a student does not qualify for free fees. The third level institutions are autonomous bodies and, as such, may determine the...

Written Answers — Irish Language Education: Irish Language Education (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The revised primary curriculum was launched in 1999 and provides an integrated programme of learning in the spheres of Languages, Mathematics, Social Environmental and Scientific Education, Arts Education, Physical Education, Social Personal and Health Education and Religious Education. Page 27 in the Introduction to the Curriculum states "It is a particular feature of Irish primary...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The qualifications for the teacher in question were recognised by the Teaching Council in October 2009. It is my Department's policy to pay the qualified rate to teachers from 1st September of the school year in which recognition has been obtained from the Teaching Council. Accordingly, since the qualifications were recognised during the 2009/2010 academic year, salary at the qualified...

Written Answers — Water Conservation: Water Conservation (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As indicated to the Deputy in my answer to Questions Nos. 532 and 546 of 24 November, my Department is in receipt of data from some local authorities on metered water consumption. I will arrange for information to be forwarded to the Deputy in relation to schools which are considerably in excess of the average water level usage of 3.5 cubic metres per pupil per year according to this data.

Written Answers — School Facilities: School Facilities (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am aware of the scheme run by the Jack and Jill Foundation whereby schools are provided with Interactive Whiteboards in return for recycling mobile phones. I understand that a large number of schools have registered for this scheme. The recently published Advisory Group Report "Smart Schools = Smart Economy" recommends an initial investment package of €150m over the next 3 years and I...

Written Answers — Parking Levy: Parking Levy (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The question asked by the Deputy does not yet apply as the Ministerial Order relating to the parking levy as set out in the Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 is not yet agreed.

Written Answers — Private Colleges: Private Colleges (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department does not regulate the provision of private colleges. In the context of a lifelong approach to learning, it would not be feasible to confine all provision of education and training to providers which are nationally accredited. However, systems are in place to enable private colleges to access external quality assurance and to offer programmes leading to nationally...

Written Answers — International Students: International Students (2 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's primary role in the promotion of international education is co-ordination and policy development, and Departmental officials are not seconded to Irish Embassies for this purpose. 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...

Third Level Charges. (1 Dec 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The student services charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and student services. The range of services 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. It should be noted all students who...