Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 879: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the conversion courses available to teachers, who are employed in special projects or schools and can only teach in those projects or schools, to qualify to teach in mainstream primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14844/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that at present, the courses run in the State, which allow for appointment to a permanent post in a primary school, are the Bachelor of Education degree and the 18-month post-graduate diploma in primary teaching. Both of these courses are run in the Colleges of Education, which specialise in the training of primary teachers. The 18 month Graduate Diploma course is a full-time course run to enable third level graduates to train as primary teachers.

There is also an on-line Graduate Diploma in Primary Education, provided by Hibernia College. This is a privately run course which has been accredited by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). The Graduate Diploma conferred at the end of this course, is recognised by my Department for the purposes of primary teaching.