Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the SCG examination in Irish will take place in 2006; the centre in which the examination will take place; the funding allocated by her Department for SCG courses for each of the past three years to enable teachers to participate and qualify; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8612/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Coláiste Mhuire, Marino, is responsible for holding the SCG examination in 2006. The examination will be held in a number of centres throughout the country in the week beginning 17 April. Full details are available from Coláiste Mhuire.

Regarding course provision, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a number of education centres throughout the country, which are directly funded by my Department, are providing preparation courses for the SCG examination at a reasonable cost that has been set by my Department. These courses are based upon a training programme, also funded by my Department, which was developed by the Irish Department in Coláiste Mhuire Marino.

The expenditure by education centres on SCG courses for the past three years was of the order of €68,500 in 2003, €82,700 in 2004 and €67,500 in 2005.

Since 2005, a small standardised fee applies for teachers who follow SCG courses in the education centres, which supplements the Department's grant.