THE DEPARTMENT of Education last night confirmed that one of the State's main language and integration training centres for immigrants is to close. Trade union Siptu said some 42 staff will lose their jobs.
Integrate Ireland Language and Training (IILT), a non-profit Government-funded company that provides English language training to adult refugees and produces teaching materials for primary and secondary schools, is to close next month.
The department and Siptu offered different accounts of the circumstances of its closure. The department said that the company informed it "of its decision to cease providing direct English language tuition to adult refugees and has requested that the department mainstream this activity within the education system".
But Siptu's education branch organiser Chris Rowland said staff were informed that the department was cutting its funding for IILT and that the company would close on July 31st.
Siptu, which represents all employees at the company, is seeking a meeting with the department to have "funding restored and services maintained," Ms Rowland added.
It was announced last year that IILT was to move its headquarters to Greendale Community School following negotiations between Independent TD Finian McGrath and then taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Mr McGrath said yesterday his agreement contained a commitment only to retain Greendale for educational use and to ensure no part of it would be sold.
"I was making sure that they weren't going to sell off Greendale Community School to private developers because I wanted it to be used for educational purposes, and as far as I'm aware that still stands. But I will be contacting the Taoiseach's office about the issue," he said.
A spokeswoman for the department said the VEC would now be asked to identify how English language tuition for adults can continue through its network. The teaching materials produced by IILT will transfer to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and will continue to be available to schools, she added.
The Irish Refugee Council expressed dismay at the closure, saying it had provided invaluable support to refugees since 1999. The Immigrant Council of Ireland said the Government must ensure there are adequate opportunities for migrants to access English language courses.