Results 1,881-1,900 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Residential Institutions Redress Board: Residential Institutions Redress Board (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The panel appointed by the Government to assess the statements of resources submitted by the religious congregations following the publication of the Ryan report has submitted its report. The report is under examination prior to being submitted to the Government. As indicated previously, it is intended that the conclusions of the panel will be made public.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (5 Nov 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 2014-15 school year. When the required reports have been completed for the initial areas selected, the forward planning section will continue to work on preparing...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department received an appeal on 2 November 2009 from the candidate referred to by the Deputy. The appeal is under review. It is anticipated that a reply will issue to the student shortly.

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As the Deputy may be aware, the recognition of teacher qualifications is a matter for the Teaching Council, the body with responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession. Consequently, the issue of conversion courses is a matter for the council in the first instance. I have no plans to establish such a course.

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has made an application to my Department for large scale capital funding. 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 of the current school building programme along with all assessed applications for...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The pension scheme for first and second level teachers are unfunded defined benefit schemes. There is no pension fund nor are contributions by teachers invested. Like many other public sector pension schemes, the teachers' schemes operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. Pension contributions are credited as appropriations to the Vote for the Department of Education and Science in the year in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: As outlined previously to the Deputy, rental grant-in-aid is provided to schools where original invoices for rental costs are submitted for payment to my Department's Planning and Building Unit. My Department has paid 99.6% of the overall rental grant-aid due for temporary school rental costs for the January to June 2009 period. 92% of schools have been paid to date for the July - December...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The cost of building a new classroom or new school building will vary from project to project depending on the complexity of the project, site conditions and ultimately on the tender outcomes. I can say that recent tenders are yielding a reduction of up to 30% in overall building costs for major projects in comparison to prices at the height of the construction boom. The Planning and Building...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: To date in 2009, 210 schools have been approved funding for the purchase of prefabricated classroom(s) with the option of providing a permanent solution. The latest figures available show an estimated cost of €28 million for these approvals. 61 of the approved schools have indicated to my Department that they intend purchasing prefabs and 60 intend providing a permanent solution. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 to 255, inclusive, together. Details in relation to the school building projects which were approved to proceed to construction each year for the past five years, when they were announced to proceed and the projects which have been completed to date are currently being compiled and I will arrange for them to be forwarded to the Deputy shortly. To date in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: My Department's School Building and Modernisation Programme is divided into a number of component elements or sub programmes. These include Large Scale Building Projects (new school buildings and major extensions/refurbishments); Summer Works Scheme; Emergency Works; Site Acquisitions; Remediation Programmes (asbestos removal, radon mitigation); Furniture and Equipment; provision of Temporary...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The position with regard to the 78 projects which I announced in late 2008 and early 2009 is as follows: 7 projects have reached practical completion stage, 15 projects are under construction, 31 projects are at various stages of the tendering process and 25 projects are at pre-tender stage. Of the 31 projects currently at various stages of the tendering process it is difficult to give a...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Additional design team fees have been and are being incurred due to the change to the new form of public contract and these will be funded by my Department. As these additional fees are currently being negotiated with the relevant consultants on a case by case basis, I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with the amounts already agreed due to the commercial sensitivity of these...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The project to which the Deputy refers 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 is dependent on the prioritisation of competing demands on the funding available under the Department's capital budget. The proposed building project will be considered in the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Nov 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The current vacancies in the Department's offices in Athlone and Tullamore are as follows: Athlone Assistant Principal Officer - 1 Higher Executive Officer - 1 Executive Officer - 2 Staff Officer - 2 Clerical Officer - 2 Tullamore Assistant Principal Officer - 2 Higher Executive Officer - 0.5 Executive Officer - 7.1 Clerical Officer - 1 Above figures given as whole time equivalents. Vacancies...

Written Answers — School Curriculum: School Curriculum (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: Working through the arts helps to nurture and develop cognitive, communicative, emotional, imaginative, aesthetic, social, and spiritual intelligences and skills. Arts education in primary schools, through the subjects of Music, Visual Arts, Drama, and through language, provides opportunities for a child to express ideas, feelings and imaginative insights, to make sense of and express...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The information sought is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Bullying in Schools: Bullying in Schools (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Board of Management of each school is required to prepare a code of behaviour in accordance with Section 23 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. My Department further requires each school to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour, within the framework of an overall school code of behaviour and discipline. Such a code, developed through...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 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 (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to primary and post primary schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Oct 2009)

Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together. The assessment of the education needs of child with learning disabilities or the identification of the disability may involve input from one or more of a range of education and health professionals including education psychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists and other medical or teaching personnel....