Vol. 521 No. 3
143 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, with respect to deafness, the issues of adult literacy, primary, secondary and tertiary education and language acquisition are all discrete but concomitant outcomes of a legacy of inappropriate provision and that each is long overdue adequate resources to redress the historic imbalance. [16961/00]
145 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will address the problem of the shortage of qualified Irish sign language interpreters. [16963/00]
147 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a programme to promote the use of Irish sign language in the education of deaf children; if, where such a programme is currently in existence, he will initiate a programme to monitor the use of Irish sign language in the educational system and ensure that best international practice is being followed. [16965/00]
148 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate movement towards the recognition of Irish sign language as the official sign language of Ireland. [16966/00]
149 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a programme of Irish sign language tuition which should be administered by the Model School for the Deaf project. [16967/00]
150 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a pre-school provision for the deaf children programme to the Model School for the Deaf as recommended by the National Early Childhood Education Forum in 1998. [16968/00]
151 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the evidence, if any, he has on the literacy standards among the deaf community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16969/00]
153 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make urgent provision for additional qualified Irish sign language interpreters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16971/00]
155 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a programme to promote the use of Irish sign language in the education of deaf children and put in place a programme to monitor the use of Irish sign language in the educational system and ensure that best international practice is being followed. [16973/00]
156 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate movement towards the recognition of Irish sign language as an official language of Ireland. [16974/00]
157 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a programme of ISL home tuition which should be administered by the model school for deaf project. [16975/00]
158 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will initiate a pre-school provision for deaf children programme to the Model School for the Deaf as recommended by the National Early Childhood Education Forum in 1998. [16976/00]
169 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science his Department's policy in relation to the use of Irish sign language in the education of deaf children; if he will indicate the research , if any, on which this policy is based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17050/00]
170 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has for the provision of a properly researched pre-school service for deaf children as recommended by the National Early Childhood Education Forum in 1998. [17051/00]
171 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will urgently address the problem of the shortage of qualified Irish sign language interpreters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17052/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 143, 145, 147 to 151, inclusive, 153, 155 to 158, inclusive, 169, 170 and 171 together.
It is my intention to establish a representative advisory committee to offer guidance to my Department on a range of key issues relating to future education services for the deaf community.
