Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 407: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps she has taken to promote further progress by the EU on accessibility by disabled persons to youth and education programmes and on the development of peer training and education programmes. [37577/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The accessibility to all of the three European education programmes, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth, is a goal which I strongly support. Targeting disadvantaged, including disabled, groups is one of the long-standing priorities of the current EU programmes. People with special needs will continue to be targeted under the new EU lifelong learning programme. One of the objectives of the new programme is to contribute to increased participation in lifelong learning by people of all ages, including those with special needs.

Specific measures are undertaken during the current programmes. Under Socrates, school and adult education action, the programme is promoted to targeted groups and associations dealing with learners with disabilities. Moreover, potential applicant organisations with disabled or disadvantaged members are particularly encouraged and given support throughout the application process.

Schools with special needs students applying for funding are given priority in the selection process and additional funding may be provided for disadvantaged schools. In the case of students with physical disabilities, additional funds may be allocated to cover their travel and subsistence costs. Projects involving disabled adult learners in mobility activities may receive additional funding. Both school and adult educators may also apply for funding to attend in-service courses on the area of dealing with learners with special needs in the classroom.

The Erasmus higher education action of Socrates reserves 0.25% of mobility allocations, specifically for students and teachers with special needs and this is promoted widely in higher education institutions.

Under the Leonardo da Vinci vocational training programme, there have been a number of both mobility and pilot projects involving the target group of disabled persons, which have been explicitly included in the national objectives of the programme.

In the Youth programme, more than 12 organisations working with young people across the disability sector at national, regional and local level have received support and development in delivering travel and networking opportunities to young people with disabilities.