Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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78. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the operation of the prison education service and its levels of funding; and his plans to increase that funding. [52641/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that Educational services are available in all prisons and are provided in partnership with a range of educational agencies including the Education Training Boards (ETBs), Public Library Services, the Open University and the Arts Council. The teachers' salaries are funded by the Department of Education and Skills who provide an allocation of 220 whole-time teacher equivalents. Literacy, numeracy and general basic education provision is the priority and broad programmes of education are made available which generally follow an adult education approach. Programmes are adapted to take account of the diversity of the prisoner population and the complex nature of prison life. Junior and Leaving Certificate courses are available. FETAC accreditation is widely used with assessment by portfolio compilation.

Courses and programmes offered can be broadly categorised as follows:

- Basic Education - including literacy, numeracy, English as a second language and communications;

- Creative Arts - notably music, sound recording and production, drama, art, craft, stone work, creative writing, film production and photography.

- Technology - including woodwork, woodcarving, metalwork, computer-aided design, information technology and horticulture;

- General Subjects - incorporating history, languages, geography, home economics and English literature;

- Life Skills - personal development, interpersonal skills, anger management, parenting, child care, addiction studies, driver theory, food hygiene, etc.

- Healthy Living- notably physical education, sports, fitness and recreational activities, health education, diet and nutrition.

An average of 38.8% of the prison population attended educational classes in 2012, the last full year for which figures are available.