Conor Lenihan
Ceist:988 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Education and Science his position regarding the selection of members for the proposed committee on deaf education. [20895/01]
Written Answers. - Committee on Deaf Education.
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:989 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will broaden the membership of the proposed committee on deaf education beyond simply including the Catholic Institute for the Deaf and the National Association for Deaf People, neither of whom have representatives of the deaf community elected to their executive boards. [20896/01]
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:992 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will include the Model School for the Deaf and Roslyn Park as well as the link-up adult literacy project in the proposed committee on deaf education. [20911/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 988, 989 and 992 together.
My objective with regard to the selection of members to the committee on deaf education is to ensure that the committee is comprised of people with the necessary expertise and experience to address the range of issues requiring consideration. It is not intended that members of the committee should simply act as representatives of their particular school or organisation or that the committee should include a representative of every individual school or organisation with an involvement or interest in the education of the hearing impaired. The Deputy will appreciate that it is necessary to limit the composition of the committee to manageable proportions so that it can operate in an efficient and effective manner.
Following consideration of representations received, I propose to increase from one to two the number of nominees from the special schools sector. The intention is that one of these will have expertise in the area of educational provision at primary level and the other will have expertise in relation to provision at second level. I have also decided to invite the Model School for the Deaf to put forward a nominee to the committee. Nominations have now been received from the majority of the bodies invited to participate. I expect that outstanding nominations will be submitted to my Department in the coming days. The Catholic Institute for the Deaf and the National Association for Deaf People play an important role in representing the interests of the hearing impaired. Both these bodies will make an important contribution to the work of the committee.
It is not proposed to include a representative of Roslyn Park or the adult literacy project on the committee at this stage. I am anxious that the initial focus of the committee's work should be on the area of provision at pre-school, primary and second level. The composition of the committee as now proposed will be fully capable of addressing these areas. However, once the committee has reported on the areas in question, it will extend its focus to address issues relating to provision for persons of post second level age. At that stage the composition of the committee will be reviewed and adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that the relevant expertise is available to the committee. The committee will be free to invite oral or written submissions from any parties which it considers relevant in the course of its work.
The composition of the Advisory Committee on the Education of the Hearing Impaired is: chairperson nominated by the Minister for Education and Science; two nominees of the Minister for Education and Science; one nominee of the Minister for Health and Children; two nominees of the special schools for the deaf; one nominee of the National Association for the Deaf; one nominee of the Irish Deaf Society; one nominee of the Catholic Institute for the Deaf; one nominee of the visiting teacher service; one nominee from the Model School for the Deaf Project; one nominee of the INTO; one nominee of the ASTI-TUI; one nominee of schools management.