Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 83: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will reconsider her decision to abolish the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing; her views on whether the National Council for Special Education is the appropriate forum to deal effectively, comprehensively and quickly with deaf education issues, particularly at developmental stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13119/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason there was no consultation between her Department and the deaf community regarding her decision to abolish the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing. [13138/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 433: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing was not consulted before her decision to disband it; the assessment she received before her decision; the person who made the assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13139/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 434: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention had been drawn to the unbalanced representation on the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing before her decision to disband it. [13140/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 435: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention had been drawn to the intransigent stance adopted by her officials to proposals and suggestions of the deaf community regarding deaf education issues on the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing. [13141/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 436: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on receiving majority and minority reports from the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing based on its work up until disbandment. [13142/05]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 437: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will clarify her position regarding the education of the deaf community in view of comments made during a debate on 30 June 2004 which suggested that there were mutually exclusive arguments within the deaf community regarding education models; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are not such major disagreements within the community, but rather between service providers and the deaf community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13143/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the anger and frustration at her decision to disband the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing; and if there was any communication suggesting that the committee draw up a minority and majority report. [13233/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of persons on the NCSE tasked with advising her Department on policy matters and who come from a deaf or hard of hearing background in view of her decision to disband the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing. [13234/05]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the effort she made as a newly appointed Minister to ensure that the advisory committee finalised its report in view of her decision to disband the committee; if her attention has been drawn to the two bodies of opinion shared by the committee; and if, in the absence of compromise, it was asked to come up with a majority and minority report. [13235/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83, 432 to 437, inclusive, and 449 to 451, inclusive, together.

The advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing was established in December 2001. The committee held 38 meetings over a three year period as well as a number of other meetings at subcommittee stage.

From an early stage in the committee's deliberations, it became apparent that there were entrenched, divergent views among representatives of deaf and hearing persons and their families on approaches to the teaching of the deaf and hard of hearing and that there was little willingness to reach consensus. One group who comes from an oralist tradition favours a focus on teaching deaf and hard of hearing children to speak and to understand spoken language. The emphasis in the oralist approach is on the use of residual hearing and has been assisted by advances in audiology and technology. Another group strongly advocates sign language as the appropriate and exclusive means of communication. The opposing viewpoints of these groups made it difficult for the committee to reach decisions. In some cases, decisions arrived at on subcommittee stage were challenged at plenary level by members who were involved in the decisions of the subcommittee.

While various chapters of the committee's report were drafted, including chapters on early intervention, primary education, post-primary education, visiting teacher service and communication issues, no consensus was reached on any of these due to the divergent views of members of the committee.

To progress matters, and as two previous deadlines which had been set for the finalisation had not been met, my predecessor, Deputy Noel Dempsey, met with the committee in June 2004. At that meeting, Deputy Dempsey stressed that its report should be completed by October 2004. This did not materialise. In the circumstances and following consultations between my officials and the chairperson of the committee, I formed the view that there was no prospect of the advisory committee reaching an agreed position in the foreseeable future. Given this position, I recently wrote to the chairperson of the committee and informed her of my decision to disband it. I have no plans to change that decision.

In disbanding the committee, however, I requested that all of the material produced by it to date be sent to my Department and this has been done. I now intend to discuss the important issue of deaf education with the National Council for Special Education with a view to carrying out research initially and devising policy on issues relating to deaf and hard of hearing pupils.

I am disappointed it was not possible for the committee to complete its work but the reality was that, more than three years after its establishment, there was no prospect of its doing so. Rather than continue down the cul de sac the committee's work had become, I have decided that a different approach is required and this approach includes involving the National Council for Special Education which has a remit to advise my Department on policy matters.

I am confident the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, which has a research function and part of whose remit is to advise my Department on policy matters, will be in a position, after undertaking appropriate research and analysis of this matter, to advise my Department on policy and other issues relating to the education of deaf and hard of hearing pupils.