Dick Spring
Question:448 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make post-leaving certificate courses available to refugees and asylum seekers. [22718/01]
Written Answers. - PLC Courses.
Access to post-leaving certificate courses for non-nationals in the following categories is available under the same conditions as apply to Irish nationals: EU nationals; * persons who have refugee status in Ireland – be that convention or programme refugee status; * persons in the State as the spouse of an EU national, where the EU national has moved from one country to another within the EU to work; persons, including their dependent spouse and children, who have been granted leave to remain in the State on humanitarian grounds and persons who have leave to remain in the State as the parents of a child born in Ireland; asylum applicants covered by the terms of a Government decision of 26 July 1999, that is asylum seekers who entered the country before 26 July 1999, who have been waiting at least a year for a determination on their case and are in possession of the notification of their right to work from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
In practice, the categories listed above are entitled to free access to PLC courses, while all other categories are required to pay the economic fee of £2,877 per annum. The categories at * are also covered by the conditions of the student maintenance grant schemes, subject to the usual residency and means requirements. Participants who pay the economic fee must be self-supporting, and have approval to remain in the State, that is approval letter from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, student visa or green handbook stamped by gardaí.
Asylum seekers who entered the country after 26 July 1999 are not eligible for free PLC tuition, except in cases where they have been granted "leave to remain" or on the basis of being the parents of an Irish born child.
Adult asylum seekers who are not eligible to access vocational training may access literacy and language supports to the extent that services can be provided by vocational education committees from the funds available for adult literacy and community education. In addition, a pilot initiative in the Dublin area has been put in place to test models of good practice in this area, to initiate pilot actions and make recommendations on a framework for future delivery. A report will be available from the project early next year. The refugee language support unit in Trinity College has also been provided with additional funds to develop resource materials and staff development programmes in this area. The refugee language support unit has also been provided with funds to enable language programmes to be provided for refugees.