New plans to help adult immigrants learn English were announced today by Minister of State for Integration Conor Lenihan.
A consortium of international consultants have been appointed to conduct a review of existing provision and to make recommendations on policy development. Advertisements seeking the views of interested parties will be placed in the national press tomorrow and a report published next Spring.
Mr Lenihan said the report will "look at critical issues such as the barriers to participation and how best we can address these and how we can respond to those who are socially excluded".
Language proficiency is key to successful social integration for immigrants, Mr Lenihan said.
"In launching this campaign, I am conscious of the benefits that will accrue across all areas of life, when we work to ensure that language barriers are no longer a reason for poor integration and poor understanding within the communities in which we live and work in," he added.