Vol. 484 No. 2
33 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details on the facilities for training professional sign language interpreters; the number of these interpreters in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21601/97]
In the period 1992-94 funding from the European Union HORIZON programme was made available through the National Rehabilitation Board for training Irish sign language interpreters. This training programme also involved the Irish Deaf Society, the centre for language and communication studies in Trinity College, Dublin and the Bristol University centre for deaf studies. Nine trainees successfully completed the diploma course. I understand that six of the nine are currently working as professional interpreters.
In recent times EU HORIZON funding has been approved, through the Department of Enterprise and Employment, for a further training course for interpreters. Cork Deaf Enterprises, in co-operation with University College Cork and Bristol University, has organised a training programme, beginning in early 1998, for ten trainee interpreters.
