Vol. 541 No. 2
991 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide information on the pilot project initiated by the City of Dublin VEC and supported by his Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to assess the level of English language needs of asylum seekers to assist them to overcome their potentially isolated position. [20901/01]
The White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, proposed that adult asylum seekers would have free access to literacy, English language and mother culture supports. vocational education committees have been advised that adult literacy funds may be used for this purpose to the extent that resources allow. To progress matters further, an action research project with a full-time co-ordinator has been put in place in the Dublin area to assess the language and literacy needs of asylum seekers in consultation with key interests, to initiate pilot actions and make recommendations on a framework and costings for addressing future needs in this area.
To date the project has undertaken research on the numbers, rights and entitlements of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland. This report, Immigration and Residency in Ireland, was published by City of Dublin VEC in March 2000; engaged in extensive consultations with refugee-asylum groups, FÁS, health board and welfare interests and educational practitioners on how best to meet needs; provided pilot training programmes in a number of locations for asylum seekers, including specific groups for women and summer programmes for unaccompanied minors; and provided staff development programmes for providers on the language, literacy and intercultural aspects of provision; established a working group to develop support materials.
