Written Answers Nos. 436-455
437. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will address the reports of a death in Mosney direct provision centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22999/21]
View answerI am aware of the sad case to which the Deputy refers and I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased who I understand had been very unwell for some time and was receiving treatment for complex medical needs.
In keeping with relevant provisions in the International Protection Act 2015 safeguarding the identity of protection applicants, and, out of respect for the deceased's next of kin, I will not be commenting further on the specific details of this case.
I would however caution that great care and compassion should always be taken in reporting on such events, particularly on social media platforms, to avoid adding to the distress of family and friends of the deceased and afford them the necessary privacy to come to terms with their sad loss.
In the event of the death of a resident at a centre a critical incident policy is in place to provide guidelines for staff in the International Protection Accommodation Service of my Department (IPAS) and accommodation centre managers and staff. IPAS officials work closely with the centre manager to assist the person’s next of kin, if known, in accessing the supports provided by the State, and to offer supports to any residents affected by the death. Where children are involved, the family is linked with Tusla to provide relevant supports.
Under the Critical Incident Policy any death or very serious incident that occurs within accommodation centres provided by the Department is referred to the Gardaí as a matter of course and, where appropriate, the Gardaí will in turn refer those deaths to the local Coroner’s office. Where cause of death has not already been certified by a qualified medical practitioner, investigations and inquests into the cause of a death are matters for those authorities.
I can also advise that my Department has developed a new policy on the collation and provision of statistics on our accommodation centres. The draft policy is currently undergoing final clearance by senior officials within the Department and will cover any interactions with relevant state authorities who have a role in the recording of a death including the Garda Síochána, the Coroner’s Office and the General Registry Office. It will also cover the provision of statistics on known historical deaths of residents.
438. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the finding in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision that the direct provision model does not have the best interests of children or the protection and promotion of the human rights of child refugees at its core; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23036/21]
View answer439. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the immediate steps he is taking to address the child safeguarding concerns raised in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23037/21]
View answer442. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the immediate steps he is taking to address the child safeguarding concerns raised in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23050/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 438, 439 and 442 together.
My Department welcomes the Report of the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) “Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision” and accepts its recommendations in full.
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department has embarked upon a series of actions, planned for the short to medium term which will build upon existing work to ensure the recommendations of the OCO will be implemented as quickly as possible.
The key priority will be to move all remaining children and families still in residing in congregated hotel style living, to own door or independent living accommodation. In order to step away completely from the use of emergency accommodation alternative suitable locations must be found. As such, a new full public procurement will take place in 2021 with the aim of securing the additional spaces required to end the use of emergency accommodation by IPAS.
The procurement will have a specific focus on the provision of child friendly accommodation that will allow parents and children to enjoy a normal private family life.
As the Deputy may be aware a new Vulnerability Assessment process is currently being piloted by the IPAS. The pilot commenced in December 2020 and was extended to all new applicants for International Protection from the beginning of February. The purpose of these assessments is to determine if an applicant is deemed to have special reception needs, what those needs are and what actions are required to address those needs. Assessment questions are based on the various categories of vulnerability identified within the EU Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU, and have been refined within the Irish context with the help of the HSE.
A new Resident Welfare Team has been established within IPAS to case-manage individual families, and single residents, identified as having special reception needs and to ensure that those needs continue to be identified and addressed in the most appropriate way possible. The Resident Welfare Team will be a multi-disciplinary team with experts from the fields of education, health and childcare seconded.
IPAS is also committed to working with Tusla during 2021 to develop interagency protocols and operating procedures that will support the sharing of case information between Tusla and IPAS and to track and monitor referrals and cases from beginning to end.
All existing centres and all new centres are required to develop a child safeguarding statement. IPAS will work with Tusla to ensure compliance with child safeguarding statements and Children First legislation is audited this year. IPAS will be ensuring that child safeguarding statements are translated and made available to all residents. Additional child safety training will also be rolled out to all centre managers as COVID restrictions allow.
A new dedicated Customer Services Team has also been established in IPAS and, as well as strengthening the existing resident complaints system, this team will be taking a more proactive approach to dealing with residents' issues, actively engaging with residents through customer feedback mechanisms and focus groups in the months ahead.
The Deputy will also be aware that I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service on 26 February 2021. The new model has the human rights of children at its core. The new International Protection system will respect the rights of children and will provide child-friendly services, including a child-friendly vulnerability assessment. This was agreed with the OCO during the development of the White Paper.
440. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the work of the International Protection Accommodation Service in establishing an independent inspectorate for direct provision as recommended in the Working Group to Report to Government on the Protection Process on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23048/21]
View answer446. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the statutory remit of HIQA under section 8(4) of the Health Act 2007 will be extended to allow it to carry out independent inspections in direct provision centres; if the envisaged role of HIQA will be advisory in nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23205/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 440 and 446 together.
My Department is engaged in consultations with the Department of Health and HIQA aimed at establishing an independent monitoring mechanism for standards in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. It has not yet been determined whether legislative change will be required to put this in place.
If required, any legislative amendment would fall to my colleague the Minister for Health to bring forward.
It is my hope that HIQA can commence rollout of its monitoring strategy in the coming months. A strong and transparent monitoring capacity is crucial to ensure that quality of service is maintained during the significant transformation process that will occur over the coming years.
441. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the International Protection Accommodation Service pre-Covid-19, failed to meet its own benchmark of three inspections per direct provision centre per year and did not inspect emergency accommodation centres in which children were residing at all; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23049/21]
View answerMy Department aims to inspect all accommodation centres (including the National Reception Centre at Balseskin) three times each year, with two of the inspections being carried out by officials of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and the third being undertaken by an independent inspection company (QTS Limited). Regrettably, it has not always been possible to meet this target, due to capacity issues and, most recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 96 inspections were carried out in 2018, with 23 centres being inspected three times and 14 being inspected less than three times. 103 inspections were carried out in 2019, with 25 of the 39 centres that were open during the course of that year being inspected at least three times. With the exception of a new centre that opened in Dominick Street in Galway, which was not fully occupied until late 2020, all accommodation centres were inspected at least once in 2020; 24 were inspected twice; and twelve were inspected three times. This gives a total of 92 inspections carried out in 2020. In a written answer to Deputy Catherine Connolly on 21 January 2021, this figure was incorrectly given as 94.
While emergency accommodation is not subject to formal inspections, IPAS officials are in regular contact with residents through clinics, which are now conducted online. Residents can make use of the IPAS complaints mechanism and can also raise issues through the confidential telephone support service which the Jesuit Refugee Service provides on behalf of the Department. In addition, all residents can raise matters of concern with both the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. Where issues are raised by or on behalf of residents, IPAS will address the matter with the accommodation provider and will visit the premises as required to ensure that any issues are satisfactorily resolved.
443. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that has been made by his Department on the implementation of the Workplace Relations Commission agreement of September 2020 between a union (details supplied) and city and county childcare committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23096/21]
View answerOfficials of my Department are finalising the review of the Workplace Relations Commission's consideration of the pay rates of the managers of the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).
The CCCs are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital support and guidance to early learning and care and school age childcare providers, and to parents. CCCs act as the local agent of my Department in the coordination and delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy at a local level, and in facilitating and supporting the development of quality, accessible ELC and SAC services for the overall benefit of children and their parents.
Officials from my Department will continue to engage with all parties on this matter as appropriate. It is important to note in this regard that although my Department provides annual funding to the CCCs in respect of all areas of expenditure, including salaries, it is not the employer of CCC staff, and the staff are not public sector employees.
444. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the shortfall of funding for a project (details supplied) as a result of the move from community childcare subvention to the new national childcare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23105/21]
View answerI greatly appreciate the hugely important role played by not-for-profit Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services, and the value they bring to children’s lives. I am also acutely aware that there are circumstances when there is a need for special arrangements for children their services seek to support.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is fairer and more far-reaching than the legacy targeted support schemes. It removes many of the very restrictive eligibility requirements, linked to Social Protection payments or a Medical Card, which were previously associated with accessing childcare support. Moving to this new system has been a significant step forward in combating the poverty traps inherent in the legacy schemes.
Under the legacy schemes there were some families with low income-levels who were not able to access subsidised childcare, either because they are in low-paid employment or because they are rotating between short periods of employment, unemployment and training. The NCS has changed this.
In replacing the legacy schemes, the NCS aims to improve children's outcomes, support lifelong learning, make work pay and reduce child poverty. It is also designed to have a positive impact on gender equality in relation to labour market participation and employment opportunities.
At a broad and simplified level, our maximum subsidy rates compare well overall with the legacy targeted scheme subsidy rates, while acknowledging that the schemes do not lend themselves to easy comparison:
|
Age and Education Stage |
NCS Max Subsidy Payment per week in term-time? |
Max CCSP payment per week |
Max TEC payment per week (this includes the Community Employment Childcare Scheme) |
|
Child under 1 |
€229.50? |
€145 |
€145 |
|
Child 1- 3 years |
€197.75 |
€145 |
€145 |
|
Preschool child |
€118.50? |
€80 (but could claim full rate if more than 8 hours per day in crèche) |
€80 |
|
School-age |
€82.50? |
€80 (part-time) or €45 (afterschool sessional) |
€45 (plus top-up) |
The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive, to meet the needs of the most economically vulnerable children and those living with other forms of disadvantage. I will keep the Scheme under review, and I will continue to work with my officials to identify whether any refinements are needed to ensure that it delivers for those most in need.
As an immediate response, support is available to services like this through Case Management. My Department oversees a Case Management process through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services experiencing difficulties. Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering on-the-ground case management assistance. This can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios, fee setting and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
Financial supports, which may also be accessed through the Case Management process, are available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal. Normally, financial supports are only available for community services. However, there is a COVID-19 Impact Support funding strand available in 2021, which is for both Community and Private services.
The CCC should be the first point of contact for any service seeking support; I would therefore urge this service to contact their local CCC as soon as possible if they have not done so already.
445. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of his work on the proposal to ban conversion therapy; if there is a timeline in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23191/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate to end the practice of conversion therapy, a commitment I strongly support. The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2020 contains a commitment to prohibit the promotion or practice of conversion therapy by health professionals in Ireland. The National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2022 commits to ensuring that the practice of conversion therapy in Ireland is investigated and followed up with appropriate counter measures.
My Department has prepared an initial scoping paper on this issue. A research subgroup of the Inclusion Strategy is being established and will consider what further research is required in this area before legislative proposal can be brought forward by the Department of Health. I will engage on these proposals in the first instance with the LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy Committee.
447. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the remaining sections of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 will be commenced; when section 23 in particular will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23155/21]
View answerThe Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 was signed into law on 23rd July 2019. While many of the provisions of the Act have been commenced, a number of Sections have yet to be. These are Sections 9, 14, 23, 25 to 33, and 38.
A considerable amount of preparatory work is required to facilitate the full implementation of the remaining Sections of the Act and it is my Department’s intention that substantial progress will be made on advancing this work in 2021. My Department is actively working with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to put in place, on a sustainable basis, the necessary resources that are required to implement these new statutory functions.
With regard to Section 23 of the Act referred to by the Deputy, the policy intention of this Section is to underpin the statutory basis for all qualifications to be included within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and to open access to the NFQ for a wider range of awarding bodies than it has pertained to, to date. An important provision under Section 23 will be the establishment of a new class of awarding body, to be known as a Listed Awarding Body, eligible to offer qualifications that are included within the NFQ.
Many useful qualifications are currently available outside of the NFQ, including qualifications offered by professional, sectoral and international bodies. It is the intention that in the future such bodies will be able to seek, on a voluntary basis, regulated access to the NFQ. The opening up of the NFQ to a broader range of qualifications is a commitment in our National Skills Strategy, it is consistent with best practice internationally, and is a policy direction supported under EU ambition for a European Education Area and the delivery of the European Skills Agenda.
In order for this Section of the legislation to be commenced it will be necessary for QQI in the first instance to develop the policies and criteria for Listed Awarding Bodies and the Inclusion of Awards in the NFQ. This is envisaged by the end of 2021. This Section of the legislation can then be commenced following QQI's consultation on the relevant policies and criteria.
448. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the situation in cases in which a person who has an immigration stamp 3 visa in relation to attendance in education can apply for and go on to third-level education on the same basis as an Irish child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22624/21]
View answerHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous and manage their own academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the HEIs. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates.
Applications for free fees are assessed by higher education institutions. Under the Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees of eligible students pursuing an approved full-time undergraduate course of study in an approved institution in the State. Eligible students must meet the terms of the scheme including the nationality and residency clauses.
Students must hold inter alia Irish/EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationality or certain permissions to reside in the state as granted by the Minister for Justice in their own right and have been ordinarily resident in Ireland or an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
Where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees funding they must pay the appropriate fee, either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution. Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and therefore the criteria governing the level of fee payable by students (EU or non-EU) is a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.
In relation to funding under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The nationality requirements for the Student Grant Scheme are set out in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 5 of the Student Support Regulations 2021. To qualify for a student grant, the candidate's nationality or his/her immigration status in the State determines whether or not he/she meets the nationality requirement outlined in the Act and Regulations. Further information in relation to the nationality requirements are available from SUSI's website: https://susi.ie/nationality-criteria/
Permission to remain in the State on the basis of a Stamp 3 Visa does not meet the nationality requirements of the Student Grant Scheme 2021. However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2021 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year, including a change in relation to a student's nationality or immigration status. Where a student acquires Irish citizenship by naturalisation, or is granted one of the permission to remain criterion provided for in the Act or Regulations during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed.
The decision on eligibility for student grant assistance is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
449. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of staff in his Department that have had access to files and or email restricted and or revoked as part of a disciplinary process or preceding or following a disciplinary process from 1 January 2018 to date in 2021. [22776/21]
View answerCivil servants recruited to my Department are subject to the Civil Service Code of Standards & Behaviour which outlines that in the course of their duties honesty, impartiality and integrity must be paramount.
On commencing duty officials are presented with a suite of documents relating to their employment one of which is an I.C.T. Usage Policy which outlines the conditions they must adhere to in using the Department’s I.T. equipment.
No official at my Department has been subjected to restrictive access to files or had access to email restricted or revoked as part of a disciplinary process in the period stated in the Deputy’s question.
450. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when section 34 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 will be commenced; if he will ensure that a waiver scheme for fees is introduced for those providers required to engage with QQI on a process to re-establish quality assurance and programme validation given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on training and education providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22844/21]
View answerSection 34 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 was commenced on 8th November 2019. Section 34 of this Act amends Section 80 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012, which authorises the charging of fees for certain services provided by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the national agency responsible for qualifications and quality assurance in further education and training and higher education in Ireland.
The 2012 Act requires that quality assurance underpins the relationship between QQI and the education providers with which it engages. The 2012 Act ensured that the existing quality assurance relationships that providers had with QQI’s predecessor agencies were maintained until providers could agree new quality assurance arrangements with QQI. The term ‘re-engagement’ is used to describe this transition. Public providers have a statutory obligation to re-engage with QQI while private and independent providers re-engage on a voluntary basis.
The re-engagement process allows providers to demonstrate their capacity to provide and maintain, on an ongoing and sustainable basis, the infrastructure required to develop education programmes consistent with national standards and to assess the achievement of stated learning outcomes by learners. It will happen only once for each provider. Thereafter, the provider will have to undergo periodic review of the effectiveness of its quality assurance procedures.
QQI works with a diverse range of public and private providers in higher and further education and training as well as providers in the English language education sector. The level of QQI fees to be applied for the purposes of re-engagement were subject to extensive deliberation to ensure that they are applied equitably. These fees reflect a graduated system based on the provider’s scope of provision including a provider’s highest level of award on the National Framework of Qualifications and the volume of a provider’s validated programmes.
All of the public higher education institutions and the Education and Training Boards have now completed the re-engagement process with QQI. The re-engagement process for private and independent providers commenced in 2018 and continues apace. At this stage of the process it would not be fair, equitable, objective or justifiable to introduce a fee waiver scheme for re-engagement.
451. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he plans to take to address the situation regarding the hiring of academic staff on a temporary or casual basis in universities and the resulting precarious working conditions for the staff involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/21]
View answer452. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of academic staff on non-permanent contracts in public institutes of higher education in each year since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
In line with the Universities Act, 1997, third-level institutions have autonomy in relation to human resource policies, subject to compliance with Government policy in respect of employment numbers and pay policy. Employers in the higher education sector are also required to operate in accordance with the provisions of national industrial relations agreements. In the event that a union has specific concerns regarding work and contract conditions among staff in any third level institution, that union can seek to have the matter addressed using the dispute resolution procedures provided for in the Haddington Road Agreement, and any individuals who have issues of dispute have a variety of dispute resolution options open to them. The HEA has collated data from the sector on the numbers of occasional hourly paid administrative, teaching and support staff and the Department will be engaging shortly with the HEA as regards next steps in this regard.
453. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students enrolled in level 5 pre-nursing courses in each year since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22927/21]
View answerThe following table shows the total number of learner enrolments on level 5 pre-nursing courses from 2016-2020.
|
Year |
Number of enrolments on level 5 pre-nursing courses |
|
2020 |
3,699 |
|
2019 |
3,789 |
|
2018 |
3,911 |
|
2017 |
4,033 |
|
2016 |
3,582 |
454. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students accepted onto undergraduate nursing courses following the completion of a level 5 pre-nursing course in each year since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22928/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not available to my Department. The basis on which a student is admitted to a course is not currently recorded on the HEA’s Student Records System (SRS) which is my Department’s primary source of student enrolment data.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to their academic affairs, including in relation to admissions criteria. HEIs set aside a quota of places in nursing for entrants from specific Level 5 courses. The places set aside can be viewed on the CAO’s website at the following link. http://www2.cao.ie/fetac/FETACNursingQuota.pdf. The offers for these places are issued as part of the CAO’s Round 0 which takes place in early August. Some HEIs also allow QQI/FET graduates to compete using CAO points gained from their FET qualification with students applying with Leaving Certificate results in Round One and subsequent rounds of the CAO.
455. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure that higher institutes of education and other third-level educational institutions offer Irish Sign Language as a subject through measures such as specific modules or dedicated degree programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23046/21]
View answerHigher Education Institutions are autonomous with regard to their academic affairs, including in relation to the degree programmes and modules they offer. It is my understanding that a number of HEIs currently offer courses or modules involving Irish Sign Language (ISL).
Trinity College Dublin, through its Centre for Deaf Studies offers a number of courses that allow students to learn or improve in ISL. The most comprehensive of these is the Bachelor in Deaf Studies, a four year honours degree course which provides a comprehensive introduction to the Deaf Community and ISL. It includes pathways for those to wish to enter ISL teaching or ISL/English interpreting.
Trinity’s Centre for Deaf Studies also offers at ten-week part-time Introduction to Irish Sign Language, and a 24 week Irish Sign Language for Beginners Course.
The Institute of Education at Dublin City University has developed a Bachelor of Education - Irish Sign Language Pathway (Restricted Entry) as a pilot programme and is awaiting approval for the course from the Department of Education. The Bachelor of Education (ISL) will prepare students for a career as a Primary School Teacher in the deaf education sector where they can make a lasting impact on young deaf and hard of hearing children and on society.
University College Dublin (UCD) offer an Applied Language Centre module for students who have no previous knowledge of Irish Sign Language (ISL). The aim is for students to develop a basic knowledge of signs so that they are able to participate in simple everyday communicative situations.
The Munster Technological University (MTU) offers a Certificate in Irish Sign Language (ISL) as a special purpose award. The Certificate in Irish Sign Language gives students access to practical ISL skills and insight into the world of the Irish deaf community. The programme is delivered in a blended format part-time over one academic year.
