| Batt O'Keeffe TD | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Mary Hanafin |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 2007 |
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| Constituency | Cork North West |
| In office November 1992 – May 2007 |
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| In office February 1987 – June 1989 |
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| Constituency | Cork South Central |
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| In office October 1989 – November 1992 |
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| Constituency | Labour Panel |
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| Born | 2 April 1945 Cullen, County Cork, Ireland |
| Political party | Fianna Fáil |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
| Occupation | Former lecturer |
Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe (born 2 April 1945) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He is the current Minister for Education and Science and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork North West constituency.[1]
Contents |
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 the Cork Institute of Technology before becoming involved in politics. He also had a sporting career. O'Keeffe is the holder of three Munster football Gaelic Athletic Association medals with Cork GAA at Under 21, Junior and Senior level. He was also a Cork Intermediate Handball Champion. In 1985 he was elected to Cork County Council. He is former chairman of the Southern Health Board. He is married to Mary Murphy and they have three daughters and one son.
Political career
At the 1987 general election O'Keeffe was first elected to Dáil Éireann, serving in the 25th Dáil. He lost his seat to Micheál Martin at the 1989 general election but he was subsequently elected to Seanad Éireann by the Labour Panel where he was Spokesperson on Finance. At the 1992 general election O'Keeffe was re-elected to the Dáil and has been re-elected at each subsequent election.[2] Between 1995 and 1997 O'Keeffe was Opposition Spokesperson on Transport and 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 cutbacks and the imposition of increased charges[3] to pay for the running of the Department of Education and Science throughout 2009,[4] 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 although the capital allocation of €889m was increased by €80m.[4]
On 29 October 2008 approximately 12,000 teachers and parents demonstrated against the education cuts announced in Budget 2009. The rally outside Leinster House coincided with a Dáil debate on a Labour Party motion calling for the increase in class sizes to be reversed. INTO General Secretary John Carr described the budget as an act of educational sabotage.[5] Ferdia Kelly – representing most second-level school managers – said school principals and deputy principals "are saying loudly and clearly that they are not available to supervise classes where teachers are absent. Failure to act now on this proposal will lead to an unwelcome disruption of school life in January." The cutbacks will remove substitution cover for uncertified sick leave and for teachers on school business at second level from 7 January 2009.[6]
The education cutbacks were supported in the Dáil on 30 October 2008 by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.[7] O'Keeffe accused the opposition parties of whipping up "hysteria" and said they were being dishonest with the Irish people.[8]
The minority Protestant population in the Republic were "outraged"[9] by cuts announced by the Minister for Education to grants previously available to the 21 Protestant denomination secondary schools which breached a 40 year old agreement reached when free secondary education was introduced by the then Minister for Education, Donogh O'Malley. The cuts disproportionately affect Protestant Schools. Parents of Protestant children feel they are now being discriminated against if they choose to educate their children in their own ethos. They must accept fewer teachers per child, and the schools will not be funded to employ non academic staff, in the way that their Roman Catholic neighbours are. A campaign to highlight this is being mounted by the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church as well as the schools and parents.[10]
Proposed re-introduction of third level fees
On 11 August 2008, O'Keefe proposed the re-introducuction third level fees which had been abolished in Ireland since 1995.[11] While originally indicating that high earners would be hit,[12][13] it was later announced that this scheme would raise far short of the €500 million in the original report compiled by UCC economist, Dr. Noel Woods.[14][15][16] O'Keefe stated that he wanted to increase third level participation and claimed that the "free fees" scheme had not accomplished this.[17] After putting forward a range of options to the cabinet in July 2009, O'Keefe set a deadline of 15 September 2009 for his colleagues to decide on the issue.[18] The range of options would then be discussed in a new programme for government. It was later announced in the new programme for government brokered by both Fianna Fáil and the Green Party that third-level fees would not be introduced in the lifetime of the present government[19] although O'Keefe has since stated his support for their introduction[20] and has stated that existing registration fees, commonly cited as "fees by another name"[21] [22], faced an increase. [23]. His stance on fees has been supported by former education ministers Noel Dempsey [24] and Mary Hanafin [25].
References
- ^ "Mr. Batt O'Keeffe". Oireachtas Members Database. http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&MemberID=899&ConstID=41. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Batt O'Keeffe". ElectionsIreland.org. http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3925. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Education". Department of Education and Science. http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?maincat=&pcategory=10861&ecategory=10876§ionpage=12251&language=EN&link=link001&page=1&doc=42252. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ^ a b "Main Estimate Features of Budget 2009 for Department of Education and Science". Department of Education and Science. http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/PR08-10-14.doc. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ^ "12,000 protest over education cuts". RTÉ News. 29 October 2008. http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1029/budgeteducation.html. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ "Managers warn of major disruption in schools next year". The Irish Times. 30 October 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1030/1225320616201.html. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ^ "Govt defeats Labour motion on education cutbacks". Breakingnews.ie. 30 October 2008. http://breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhideyauojgb/. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ "Government wins key Dáil vote on education cutbacks". The Irish Times. 30 October 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1030/breaking20.htm. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/protestants-outraged-over--schools-budget-discrimation-1875158.html
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/1005/1224255886694.html
- ^ "Storm of protest as O'Keeffe hints at return of college fees". Irish Independent. 12 August 2008. http://www.independent.ie/education/storm-of-protest-as-okeeffe-hints-at-return-of-college-fees-1452441.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "O'Keeffe personally backs the return of college fees". The Irish Times. 10 September 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/0910/1220919678637.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Third-level fees for wealthy would raise €500m, O'Keeffe report claims". The Irish Times. 16 September 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0916/1221430254841.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "O'Keeffe never received inaccurate fee report". Sunday Tribune. 22 March 2009. http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/mar/22/okeeffe-never-received-inaccurate-fee-report/. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Fine Gael compares O'Keeffe to 'Grandpa Simpson'". The Irish Times. 8 November 2008. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1108/1225925567579.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Economist of flawed fees report is friend of minister". Sunday Tribune. 21 September 2008. http://www.tribune.ie/news/article/2008/sep/21/economist-of-flawed-fees-report-is-friend-of-minis/. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Students warned they’ll have to pay for college". The Times. 14 February 2009. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article5734381.ece. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ "Ministers given deadline for views on third-level fees". Eircom.net news. 12 August 2009. http://news.eircom.net/topstories/16245663/. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
- ^ http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/key-promises-in-revised-programme-for-government-revealed-429699.html
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1013/1224256509506.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/college-chiefs-warn-registration-fees-must-rise-1927519.html
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1012/breaking27.htm
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/education/latest-news/registration-for-third-level-costs-more-than-most-eu-tuition-fees-1911546.html
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1018/politics.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/greens-still-oppose-return-of-college-fees-1635209.html
External links
| Oireachtas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pearse Wyse (Fianna Fáil) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork South Central 1987–1989 |
Succeeded by Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil) |
| Preceded by John Dennehy (Fianna Fáil) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork South Central 1992–2007 |
Succeeded by Michael McGrath (Fianna Fáil) |
| Preceded by Donal Moynihan (Fianna Fáil) |
Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Cork North West 2007– |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Pat "the Cope" Gallagher |
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (with special responsibility for Environmental Protection) 2004–2007 |
Succeeded by Office abolished |
| Preceded by Noel Ahern |
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (with special responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal) 2007–2008 |
Succeeded by Michael Finneran |
| Preceded by Mary Hanafin |
Minister for Education and Science 2008– |
Incumbent |
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