Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 625: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the imminent closure of Integrate Ireland's Language and Training including its branch in Waterford, in spite of the continued inadequacy of English language training in terms of availability, quality and the number of contact hours per week on offer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26632/08]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Integrate Ireland Language and Training Ltd. (IILT) approached my Department earlier this year with a proposal to withdraw from direct tuition for adult refugees and with a request that this tuition be mainstreamed. IILT envisaged continuing direct tuition for a group of up to 200 programme refugees. My Department accepted that mainstreaming of service provision was appropriate as it accords with the overall approach to provision of services to migrants as set out in "Migration Nation" — a statement on integration strategy and diversity management which I recently launched. In doing so the Department decided that all provision should be mainstreamed and provided by VECs as it would be less efficient to seek to continue with a small element of provision by IILT.

The funding allocated to IILT will now be redirected to provide for the continuation of this service through the VEC network. The Irish Vocational Education Association has confirmed that it is happy to cooperate and collaborate with my Department in delivery of necessary English language services. The VEC sector has already developed best practice in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision. The sector is already providing English language services for those whose first language is not English. At present services are provided to over 12,000 people annually which clearly demonstrates the capacity of the VECs in this area. A further advantage of mainstreaming such provision through the VEC sector is the fact that the VECs have a nationwide network across all counties and cities that can readily provide classes where needed in the country using their facilities in schools.