Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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This matter aims to ensure the important Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College does not lose the minimal education grant it has at present. We are concerned that yet another institution dealing with a vulnerable minority is targeted by cuts in education. The Centre for Deaf Studies is based in Trinity College and funded by the HEA. It is concerned that its funding for 2009 will be cut. It already operates on a shoestring budget of €440,000 and it cannot afford any cutbacks. It had to locate most of its activities in Drumcondra because it must pay rent in Trinity College and most of its staff now works in Drumcondra. This is a difficult situation.

The Centre for Deaf Studies is the only university on the island of Ireland where deaf studies, Irish Sign Language teaching and Irish Sign Language and English interpreting is taught. There are currently 5,000 deaf Irish sign language, ISL, users in Ireland, but only 50 to 60 full-time interpreters. Thus, there is a shortfall of between 140 and 150 interpreters to facilitate interpreted access to a range of public services, including third level education, medical settings, legal domains, employment situations and conferences. The reduction in the delivery of ISL and English interpreter education services will deny the deaf community the right to participate at all levels of society and is an infringement of their human rights.

The reduction in funding will have the effect of impacting on public bodies such as the Garda, which will face enormous difficulties in meeting its legal obligations to provide interpretation facilities. There have already been several court cases which have fallen through because of the use of unqualified interpreters. There was a recent case in Kanturk, County Cork, where an assault case was dismissed on 1 October. It was reported that difficulties arose with a statement made by a witness, who cannot hear or speak, on the night of the incident and with the qualifications of the interpreter used at a previous court hearing for the person in question.

We need many more interpreters for sign language. Deaf students will not be able to take up third level places without interpreters. They are already the most unrepresentative of all disadvantaged groups in higher education. In the event that the Centre for Deaf Studies is unable to continue its operations, there would be no other facility in the country providing ISL and English interpreter education. If the Centre for Deaf Studies is forced to close, it would mean deaf studies would no longer be provided in any university in Ireland.

The centre requires a minimum of €440,000, which is its current allocation, to continue to provide these excellent and essential services. The funding is normally provided by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and is ring-fenced. This is the way it has operated up to now. However, this year the HEA established the strategic and innovation of vulnerable subjects fund and €1 million has been set aside for this fund. Unfortunately, the Centre for Deaf Studies has been forced to compete with several other organisations, equally worthwhile, for this core funding, which is outrageous.

The Government has failed the deaf community. Its failure to recognise Irish sign language as an official language is an indication of its failure to recognise the needs of the deaf community. Ironically, Irish sign language is recognised in Northern Ireland and by the British Government. Sign languages are recognised by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, but not the Government.

In the overall scheme of the public service budget, the required funding is not exorbitant. It barely represents the equivalent of one FÁS trip to Florida. The Centre for Deaf Studies represents value for money, but not only as the only university department for deaf studies in Ireland. It is also internationally renowned. It won a European language ambassador of the year award as recently as September 2008. It is involved in the Erasmus and Fulbright programmes and a range of other European Union programmes. Its future participation in two very important and significant European research programmes, under the EU Leonardo programme, is also in jeopardy, as is the roll-out of the masters course in deaf studies throughout the country if these cutbacks are put in place.

The Centre for Deaf Studies in Trinity College, Dublin, along with its outreach programme in Drumcondra represents value for money. Its funding must at least be maintained at the existing level, but I hope it will be increased.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the up-to-date position of the Department of Education and Science on this issue. As the Deputy is aware, the Centre for Deaf Studies represents a constituent part of Trinity College, Dublin, TCD. The Universities Act 1997 confers autonomous statutory responsibilities on universities for the day-to-day management of their affairs and it is a matter for each university to manage its financial resources. Through the Higher Education Authority, the designated body responsible for the planning and development of higher education and research in Ireland, universities receive a recurrent block grant.

The HEA, on request from Trinity College, Dublin, provided specific funding for the Deaf Studies Centre as part of the overall recurrent grant to the college in recent years. I understand that TCD recently made a request to the HEA for specific funding for the Centre for Deaf Studies for 2009. This request was recently agreed by the HEA and I understand that the authority notified TCD in this regard. The Minister for Education and Science does not have a role in this process.

With regard to general recurrent funding allocated by the HEA, it is a matter for each institution to determine how it is applied and, therefore, Trinity College, Dublin, as an autonomous body, may determine the use of funding and may allocate additional funding to the centre over and above that provided by the HEA if it so wishes.

The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, indicated that significant investment has been made through the years in the higher education system. Overall provision for the third level sector has increased from some €1.5 billion in 2004 to some €2 billion in 2008. The overall allocation for the sector in 2009 will be in the region of €2.1 billion, which takes account of the general public sector reduction in the payroll, applicable to all higher level institutions. It will be a matter for the institutions to manage their resources in 2009 and, where necessary, to effect economies across all levels of activity, including increased collaboration between universities, and between the university and institutes of technology, IOT, sectors. In recent years, recurrent funding allocated specifically to the university sector has increased from €631 million in 2004 to €831 million in 2008. This represents an increase of some 32% since 2004 and an increase of almost 120% from 1998 levels. This excludes separately provided programmes of funding for capital, for research and development and from the strategic innovation fund.

The multi-annual strategic innovation fund, SIF, for higher education was introduced by the Government in 2006 with an allocation of €510 million for the period of the national development plan. The fund is intended to be a major catalyst in bringing about substantial change and quality improvements in higher education institutions and promoting system-wide collaboration that draws on all institutions' collective strengths. Projects approved under the fund are aimed at institutional reform, enhancing teaching and learning, improving access and life-long learning and enabling the development of fourth level activity.

I understand Trinity College, Dublin, was successful under the strategic innovation fund specifically for the Centre for Deaf Studies. TCD, as the lead institution, was awarded €1.28 million in multi-annual funding under second SIF, for diploma courses which the university has developed to improve education and career opportunities for deaf students. This collaborative proposal with the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, will make these diploma courses available nationwide through distance learning. It will implement a bachelor of arts degree option and it will research, develop, implement and evaluate appropriate assisting technologies for the teaching of Irish sign language and deaf studies using the internet. I again thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to respond to the House on this matter.