Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 677: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the way in which the €6 million funding allocated to assist students in attending the Gaeltacht in 2006 is being dispersed; to whom it is being dispersed; the location where an eight year old can attend a Gaeltacht course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27519/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The funding to assist students in attending Irish summer college courses is being disbursed as follows in 2006:- Under the scheme for payment of tuition grants to Irish Summer Colleges, which is administered by my Department, grants are paid to Colleges based on course attendance. The estimated expenditure in 2006 is €1,175,000.

My Department also administers a separate scheme for trainee teachers in the Colleges of Education who are required to attend a three week course in the Gaeltacht as part of their teacher training programme. Grants are paid to the Irish Colleges based on the attendance of these students. It is estimated such grants will cost in the region of €825,000 this year.

Under Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge, which is administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, grants are paid to Gaeltacht households who accommodate Irish students while they attend recognised Irish courses in the Gaeltacht. The estimated overall expenditure in 2006 is €4,250,000.

Under my Department's Rules for the payment of grants to Irish Summer Colleges, provision is made for the payment of grants in respect of students between 8 and 18 years of age attending approved Irish courses in colleges outside the Gaeltacht. The colleges are privately run institutions and the age group for which courses are provided is a matter for the individual colleges concerned. In practice, most courses cater for pupils in the secondary education age group.

If the Deputy wishes to get information on the courses provided by individual colleges, I would suggest that he contacts Comhchoiste na gColáistí Samhraidh (CONCOS), Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, Trá Lí, Co. Chiarraí. CONCOS is a federation of 42 Irish Summer Colleges both inside and outside the main Gaeltachtaí, as well as Residential Colleges in the provinces.