Education and Training Provision

Thursday, 18 April 2024

Questions (314)

John Brady

Question:

314. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of staff employed in the delivery of English language classes to IPAS and BOTPs in Ireland, by area, and on a monthly basis, for the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17107/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses are delivered by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) across the country. All ESOL provision is free, and caters for all competency levels of learners, from beginner, to intermediate, and advanced.

ESOL is part of the general adult literacy provision in the ETBs. ESOL is open to a diverse range of learner cohorts for whom English is not their first language, including but not limited to, IPAS and BOTP learners.

The detailed data sought by the Deputy is not readily available however my officials are engaging with SOLAS and the ETBs to prepare a report on the available data for the Deputy.