Friday 1 September 2000
Written Answers to Questions

EDUCATION

Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Education to list the media outlets which receive from the Department press notices published in the Irish language and to confirm that, to date, the Department has spent £3,312 on Irish language promotional activities.

(AQW 773/99)

The Minister of Education (Mr M McGuinness): At present, Irish language versions of departmental press notices are provided, at their request, to the following media outlets: ‘The Irish News’, RTE, ‘The Irish Times’, ‘La’, ‘Andersonstown News’, Tele Na Gaelige, BBC News.

Should any other media outlet request such press notices in Irish I will arrange for these to be provided?

Since the response to the Member’s question on 12 June (AQW 479) a further £552 has been spent on press notices, bringing the total expenditure to £3864.

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Education what action will be taken to improve standards of literacy and numeracy.

(AQW 804/99)

Mr M McGuinness: My Department has developed, with its education partners, a wide-ranging strategy for the promotion of literacy and numeracy in primary and secondary schools, which is in the second year of its implementation. I have arranged for the Member to receive a copy of the strategy document and for a copy to be placed in the Assembly Library.

Mr Gibson asked the Minister of Education what plans exist to extend the special schools programme.

(AQW 805/99)

Mr M McGuinness: While it is the responsibility of each education and library board to bring forward schemes in respect of special schools in its area, the Department is aware of the accommodation needs of the special-school sector and is taking steps to have Boards accelerate the planning for those schools most urgently in need. These include the nine remaining former special care schools which have still to be replaced.