Minister for Education and Science Batt O'keeffe of Ireland
O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, County Cork.
O'Keeffe is the holder of three Munster Football Gaelic Athletic Association medals with Cork GAA at Under 21, Junior and Senior level.
In the 1987 general election O'Keeffe was first elected to Dáil Éireann, serving in the 25th Dáil.
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.
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.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe is in trouble with the nation's teachers again -- and this time it's the future of second-level maths teaching that has landed him in hot water.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has launched the latest phase of the Government's initiative to promote research and development projects in Irish colleges and universities.
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe was last night accused of doing a "humiliating" U-turn after he appeared to confirm his support for schools to release exam information.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has announced �2.
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has said Government spending in third-level education has increased by a third in three years.
Mr O'Keeffe said he cannot understand how the third-level sector could claim it was underfunded.
Speaking after meeting students demonstrating against the return of third-level fees outside the Fianna Fáil conference in Galway, Mr O'Keeffe said he wants to see a sector where undergraduate students were the priority.
Minister of State Batt O'Keeffe has told the Mahon Tribunal that £9,000 he received as a political donation from a developer was lodged into a personal account.
But Mr O'Keeffe said all the money he received from developer Owen O'Callaghan went on political expenses.
Batt O'Keeffe said he received a cheque for £10,000 from Mr O'Callaghan during the 1992 General Election campaign.
But Mr O'Keeffe said he had already spent personal money on that election campaign where he was fighting for his political life.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has made no statement in response to the march.
the couple have three sons and two daughters.
In this section Georgia urges international intervention as Russia rejects truceGovernment may get 2bn boost from pension fundsSTEPHEN COLLINS and BARRY ROCHEMINISTER FOR Education Batt O'Keeffe has received qualified support from his PD Cabinet colleague, Mary Harney, for reopening the debate on third-level fees, but his predecessor Mary Hanafin poured cold water on the proposal.
By contrast, Ms Harney said in Cork that she was not surprised Mr O'Keeffe had mooted the idea of reintroducing fees as he was "a new and innovative Minister.
the practice of Irish language immersion in Gaelscoileaanna.
Within weeks of swearing blind that he could not budge an inch, the Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has now rowed back and 'found' money which he previously said did not exist.
Mr O'Keeffe said Mr O'Sullivan was aware that it is inappropriate to drink and drive.
Commenting on recent house market trends, Minister O'Keeffe said "the adjustment that is now taking place in the housing market involves some pain, but there will also be gains, particularly in terms of better housing affordability and also reduced pressure on cost competitiveness in the overall economy, which is vital to our continued success.
Louise O'Keeffe was one of many girls indecently assaulted by their school principal, Leo Hickey.
Irish minister for Education and Science Batt OKeeffe will initially lead the delegation currently in China on a trade and diplomatic mission.