Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the support that exists from her Department for the parents of children from non-Irish backgrounds who can not speak or read English; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21839/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious of the challenges that moving to a different country poses for many people, especially where a different language is spoken in the new location. These challenges are particularly acute in cases where children are involved and where neither they, nor their parents, speak the language of their new home.

My Department gives an annual grant to all Vocational Education Committees for the provision of Adult Literacy and Community Education. The cost of the literacy service delivered by the VECs in 2006 was over €20 million. To cater for the needs of adult migrants there is a facility, within the adult literacy service, for those who wish to improve their English to participate in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. In 2005 there were 10,000 places availed of for ESOL courses and this rose to 12,000 in 2006. This later figure constitutes 30% of the adult literacy places within the adult literacy service.

The language needs of migrants formed part of the negotiations between social partners in drawing up the new social partnership agreement "Towards 2016". A prioritised action included in the agreement is that the annual student cohort availing of the general national literacy service delivered by the Vocational Education Committees will be significantly increased by the provision of an extra 7,000 places by 2009, 3,000 of which will be provided this year. There will be a particular focus on increasing the number of migrants receiving an English language service (ESOL) under the terms of the agreement. We are also committed under the Programme for Government to providing dedicated funding for English language training for targeted groups.

My Department, in conjunction with the Office for Integration, has commissioned an independent review to assist in the development of a national English language training policy and framework for legally-resident adult immigrants based on extensive stakeholder consultation. This is due for completion in early 2008.

In addition, information on the Irish Education system has been placed on the Department's Website (www.education.ie) in 6 languages, i.e. Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Spanish and German.

The importance of addressing the educational needs of newcomers has been emphasised by the establishment by the Government of the Office for Integration and the appointment by the Taoiseach of my colleague Conor Lenihan TD as the Minister for Integration. Minister Lenihan is also a Minister of State in my Department and his Office will greatly help the development of a co-ordinated and cohesive response to the integration of newcomers to Ireland. In particular, it will focus upon the work undertaken by three Government Departments: Education and Science; Justice, Equality & Law Reform; and Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs.