Batt O'Keeffe: Difference between revisions

Batt O'Keeffe
TD
Batt O'Keeffe TD
Minister for Education & Science
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 7 May 2008
Taoiseach	Brian Cowen
Preceded by	Mary Hanafin
Teachta Dála for; Cork North West
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 24 May 2007
Preceded by	Donal Moynihan
Personal details
Born	2 April 1945 (age 79); Cullen, County Cork, Ireland
Political party	Fianna Fáil
Alma mater	University College Cork
Occupation	Lecturer

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Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe (born 2 April 1945), is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork North West and is currently the Minister for Education and Science.

Early life

O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, County Cork. He was educated at St. Brendan's, Killarney , County Kerry and at University College Cork where he received a Bachelor of Arts. O'Keeffe worked as a Lecturer in Cork Institute of Technology before becoming involved in politics. He also had a sporting career. O'Keeffe is the holder of 3 Munster Football Gaelic Athletic Association medals with Cork at Under 21, Junior and Senior level. He was also a Cork Intermediate Handball Champion. In 1985 he was elected to Cork County Council.

Batt O'Keefe - The Complete Bollocks

Yes, O'Keefe is also a renowned supported of S&M and almost came in himself (premature ejaculation) when he heard the budget. Being a Cork bollocks he emplored the budget saying "F*** the poor, I'm on a massive wage every year and I'm in one of the most retarded jobs in the country so nothing will happen to me"

Political career

In the 1987 general election O'Keeffe was first elected to Dáil Éireann, serving in the 25th Dáil. He lost his seat to Micheál Martin in the 1989 general election but he was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann where he was Spokesperson on Finance. In the 1992 general election O'Keeffe was re-elected to the Dáil and has been re-elected at each subsequent election. Between 1995 and 1997 O'Keeffe was Opposition Spokesperson on Transport & Communications. He has also served on a number of committees including the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, the Public Accounts Committee and the Sustainable Development Committee. In Bertie Ahern's Cabinet reshuffle of 2004 O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for Environmental Protection.

In 2006 O'Keeffe was selected unopposed to contest the 2007 general election in the re-drawn Cork North West constituency along with Michael Moynihan and Donal Moynihan. O'Keeffe was successfully elected though his party colleague Donal Moynihan lost his seat. In 2007 O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal. In 2008, when Brian Cowen became Taoiseach, O'Keeffe was appointed as Minister for Education and Science.

Budget 2009

On 14 October 2008, as part of Budget 2009, O'Keeffe announced changes and increased charges^[1] in the running of the Department of Education and Science throughout 2009,^[2] including the increase of the primary school teacher:pupil ratio 1:27 to 1:28 and the increase of the post-primary school teacher:pupil ratio from 1:18 to 1:19.^[3]^[4]. In addition a maximum of two language support teachers per school (which will lead to serious job losses) was announced. Teacher class substitution cover will be suspended from January 2009 for absences arising from uncertified sick leave and school business in all schools.^[5]^[6]. A 4.3 % increase of €14 per pupil in the post-primary capitation grant - less than the rate of inflation - was also announced.^[7] The separate cookery grant, resource grant for language support teachers and equipment grant for resource teachers are also being abolished whilst a number of separate course and subject grant payments to second-level schools for Choirs and Orchestras, Home Economics, Physics, Chemistry, the Junior Certificate Schools Programme, Leaving Certificate Applied, LCVP and Transition Year are also to be removed.^[8] For children from disadvantaged backgrounds aid for school books is to be restricted whilst the implementation of the EPSEN Act for children with Special Educational Needs is to be deferred.^[9] An annual grant of €97,000 to the Centre for Talented Youth is to be withdrawn and the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education will be closed.^[10]^[11] For children who travel to school by bus, the post-primary school transport charge is increasing from an annual fee of €168 for junior cycle children and €234 for senior cycle children (payable on a term-by-term basis) to a single annual fee of €300 whilst for those taking examinations and training courses, fee increases will be required across the State Examinations Commission (SEC) (an 8 % increase), Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) and Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC).^[12] For travellers there will be a reduction in capitation funding whilst the number of places provided in Senior Traveller Training Centres will be reduced by approximately 100.^[13] Funding that the Department has previously made available to local authorities to support school library services and summer courses in Irish colleges is to be ceased.^[14] Teachers will also see in-service education support being reduced by €5m in addition to teacher secondments to in-service training being reduced.^[15] Grants for foreign qualified teachers attending Irish courses in the Gaeltacht are also being withdrawn.^[16] At third level student registration charges are to increase from €900 to €1,500 whilst there will be no provision for increases in student maintenance grants.^[17] The non-pay grant provision for adult and further education will show a reduction of €8.5m and, as a consequence, will require a reduction in the provision of 500 places on the Back to Education Initiative.^[18] Grants for youth services are being reduced by just over 8 % - from €52.6m to €48.2m.^[19]

The minister failed to comment on how all this was to help Irish students and parents, at a time when the economy is in such recession.

References

External links

Batt O'Keeffe's electoral history

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 ==Early life==
 O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, [[County Cork]].  He was educated at [[St. Brendan's, Killarney ]], [[County Kerry]] and at [[University College Cork]] where he received a [[Bachelor of Arts]].  O'Keeffe worked as a Lecturer in [[Cork Institute of Technology]] before becoming involved in politics.  He also had a sporting career.  O'Keeffe is the holder of 3 Munster Football [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] medals with [[Cork GAA|Cork]] at Under 21, Junior and Senior level.  He was also a Cork Intermediate Handball Champion.  In 1985 he was elected to [[Cork County Council]].
+==Batt O'Keefe - The Complete Bollocks==
+Yes, O'Keefe is also a renowned supported of [[S&M]] and almost came in himself ([[premature ejaculation]]) when he heard the budget. Being a Cork bollocks he emplored the budget saying "F*** the poor, I'm on a massive wage every year and I'm in one of the most retarded jobs in the country so nothing will happen to me"
 ==Political career==