Richard Bruton
Ceist:389 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the supply of Irish sign language tutors in Ireland; and the plans he has to develop such tuition for pupils who need it. [15192/00]
Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
In 1999 my Department sanctioned a grant of £607,000 for the Irish Deaf Society to develop a service over a five-year period to address the literacy needs of deaf people throughout Ireland.
This allocation is based on a pilot programme called Linkup, which ran for two years and provided literacy training courses for 11 deaf women through Irish sign language. The expanded Linkup programme will train 25 tutors to deliver literacy classes through Irish sign language in five locations throughout Ireland.
Following representations from parents, a special class was established in St. Joseph's special school, Cabra, in which the bilingual approach is followed. Special needs assistants with competence in Irish sign language have been allocated to the school to support the teachers and pupils in the use of this approach. In addition, training courses in Irish sign language have been held for teachers of deaf pupils to equip them with the necessary skills. Such courses will continue to be supported. This will enable teachers to meet the needs of those pupils whose chief method of communication is through the medium of signing.
It is acknowledged that no single method of communication is suitable for all deaf students. In this context, the assessed needs of each individual child are of central importance when, in consultation with the child's parents, decisions are being made regarding appropriate educational provision.