Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this most important issue on the Adjournment. My request can be simply stated, namely, that funding be provided for sign language interpreters for five deaf people who wish to participate in a course at Waterford Institute of Technology.

The Unite trade union has been working with Waterford Institute of Technology on the development of education courses for workers who lost their jobs when Waterford Crystal closed. An information evening was held at Waterford Institute of Technology on 23 September 2009 and there have been subsequent meetings between the college and the Unite trade union. Waterford Institute of Technology has developed a programme to address the educational needs expressed by the group from Waterford Crystal who attended on the information night. There are three main areas in the programme, namely the recognition of prior learning from life and work, personal development in study skills and the opportunity to taste higher education programmes. This pilot initiative, which has been developed by Waterford Institute of Technology, is funded by FÁS. It is to be run on a part-time basis from the end of this month until May. The target group are those who wish to up-skill and return to education and this constitutes an innovative approach to life-long learning.

It aims to inform participants about new opportunities and developments in the education system. It provides the opportunity for individuals to map and evaluate their life and work experience to date. This facilitates educational progression and will involve the exploration of relevant educational pathways. It will allow participants to sample a range of the programmes provided by Waterford Institute of Technology in order that they can identify programmes of interest to them. There will be individual guidance and support sessions while learning will be provided within a group context.

The college states that the aims of the programme are to enable learners to review their perceptions of themselves as learners, to increase participants' levels of confidence in their learning abilities and to enhance skills and identify progression routes appropriate to the individual learner and to assist in developing in participants the confidence to undertake further study at an appropriate level. I greatly welcome this pilot project and see great potential in it as an example to be implemented widely in the interests of those who have lost their jobs and who wish to enhance their prospects of re-entering the workforce as the economy recovers and employment opportunities come on-stream.

Given the kinds of employment that are likely to emerge in the future, the whole area of enhanced qualifications is a major factor. Both the Unite trade union and Waterford Institute of Technology perceive this pilot project as being vital in the context of the participants taking up full-time courses in the new academic year, starting in September next. This course is fully accredited and will allow participants to build additional credits to further their education options. As for the five people who are deaf, I consider having the opportunity to participate in this course to be their absolute right. I call on the Minister to provide the funding for the sign language interpreters and ask him to make an urgent positive decision in this matter in order that the course can go ahead and the five people who need the services of sign language interpreters are facilitated.

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