Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 4

Written Answers. - Asylum Seekers.

Willie Penrose

Question:

370 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the person or section with responsibility for providing funding for literacy and numeracy for refugees and asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30478/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

In the case of adults granted refugee status, either long-term or temporary, my Department bears the cost of language tuition in order to assist them to participate in various aspects of our society in accordance with their needs and wishes. Such tuition is normally provided on contract and the provision is co-ordinated by the refugee language support unit RLSU, established in Trinity College with funding support from my Department's post-primary administration section. The RLSUs functions are fulfilled in co-operation with the Refugee Agency, my Department, FÁS and refugee groups.

The White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, proposed that adult asylum seekers would have free access to literacy, English language and mother culture supports. Responsibility for policy co-ordination and funding of adult literacy provision rests with the further education section of my Department. Funds have increased for overall adult literacy provision from a base of £850,000 in 1997 to £10.677 million in 2001.

VECs have been advised that adult literacy funds may be used to address the literacy and language needs of adults for whom English is not the mother tongue to the extent that resources allow. To progress matters further, an action research project with a full-time co-ordinator has been put in place in the Dublin area to assess the language and literacy needs of asylum seekers in consultation with key interests, to initiate pilot actions and make recommendations on a framework and costings for addressing future needs in this area.

To date the project has undertaken research on the numbers, rights and entitlements of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland. This report, Immigration and Residency in Ireland, was published by City of Dublin VEC in March 2000 engaged in extensive consultations with refugee-asylum groups, FÁS, health board and welfare interests and educational practitioners on how best to meet needs; provided pilot training programmes in a number of locations for asylum seekers, including specific groups for women and summer programmes for unaccompanied minors; provided staff development programmes for providers on the language, literacy and intercultural aspects of provision; and established a working group to develop support materials.

The primary research for this project is now complete and the results and recommendations are currently being prepared by the VEC. The final phase of this project will consist of focus groups with asylum seekers and refugees to discuss the nature of the recommendations and whether they truly address their needs. A report on outcomes from the pilot projects together with recommendations for future programme development is expected in early 2002.

This project is working in tandem with that of a working group established by the Irish Vocational Education Association in this area, whose report was recently published. In addition, my Department has provided funds for the refugee language support unit in Trinity College for staff development and materials production in this area in consultation with the project and the National Adult Literacy Agency.

At this stage, 22 vocational education committees have adult literacy programmes in place to cater for the specific needs of those for whom English is not the mother tongue.