Migrant strategy aims to make integration 'the norm' in classrooms

TEACHERS SHOULD create a more “intercultural learning environment” in classrooms and focus more on developing pupils’ English language skills during regular lessons.

These are two key proposals in a new Government five-year migrant education strategy, which aims to make “inclusion and integration the norm” and combat racism in schools.

In the 2009/10 academic year there were 28,422 migrant children attending second-level schools, 9 per cent of the school population. At primary level, there are 45,700 immigrant pupils out of a total student population of 476,000. British, Polish and Nigerians are the three biggest migrant groups at second-level schools.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0916/1224278992567.html

Thousands of marriages 'illegal'

Thousands of foreign couples who married at their country’s embassies in the Republic over the past three years are being told their marriages are invalid and illegal.

The problem has sparked a diplomatic row between the Government and several EU states, which have asked Spain – current holder of the EU presidency – to mediate on their behalf. The decision by the Government also affects the citizens of non-EU states, whose embassies conduct marriage ceremonies.

Last week the General Register Office wrote to all foreign embassies informing them that marriages performed by diplomatic missions were not recognised as marriages unless they conformed to Irish law. The note said marriages would not be legal unless they were performed by an authorised registrar and took place in a registered building which was open to the public.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0310/breaking32.html

Child benefit changes urged for foreign nationals

Child benefit payments to foreign nationals whose children live outside the State should be reduced significantly, according to a report on social welfare fraud by an Oireachtas committee.

About 7,000 EU nationals resident in Ireland are claiming child benefit for 11,000 children living outside the State. This is projected to cost the exchequer about €20 million this year.

The report says it is “not appropriate” to pay the Irish rate of child benefit for children in other countries where the cost of living is significantly lower.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1022/1224257226342.html

State paying child benefit to 10,000 living abroad

TEN THOUSAND children who live abroad are in receipt of child benefit in this State. Under EU law, children who live in another EU country qualify for child benefit if one of their parents is living and working in Ireland.

The secretary general of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Bernadette Lacey, said 6,000 families where the children live abroad qualify for child benefit, with 80 per cent of them coming from Poland.

The child benefit payments cost the State €20 million annually.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0313/1224242800471.html

Problems with rural integration - report

Not enough is being done to integrate foreign nationals into rural communities, according to a new report published today.

The report, Reaching Out, which has been compiled by Irish Rural Link, finds that prejudice about race and identity is a huge problem for people from abroad living in Ireland.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0303/integration.html

Report in full.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0303/ruralireland.pdf

Child benefit payments halted for over 7,000 non-nationals

A major clampdown on child benefits has seen payments to more than 7,000 non-nationals cancelled.

In excess of half a billion euro has been given to non-Irish families in the past two years.

But the Department of Social and Family Affairs has undertaken a serious review in the past year to control against fraud and abuse of the scheme.

Around 70,000 letters have been issued from the department to non-Irish national since November last year.

Some 13,713 claimants did not reply within 21 days, and as a result 3,629 have had their claims terminated.

The Herald has learned that in excess of €4bn was paid out in child benefit between 2006 and 2007. Of that figure almost €600m was handed out to non-Irish nationals, some of whom do not even have children living here. One-in-seven recipients of child benefit was not born in Ireland.

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/child-benefit-payments-halted-for-over-7000-nonnationals-1553233.html

Teachers back call to segregate immigrants

TEACHERS last night gave a guarded backing to calls for immigrant children who cannot speak English properly to be "segregated" in our classrooms.

This followed a Fine Gael call yesterday for the Government to separate immigrant children with poor language skills from the rest of their classmates.

The party’s education spokesman, Brian Hayes, said children should not be put into a mainstream class until they have a competence for it.

He added: “And if that requires segregation, well then we have got to segregate the child in the best interests of that child.”

He said he was also aware that many parents were frustrated at the effect the lack of segregation was having on the education of their Englishspeaking children.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/teachers-back-call-to-segregate-immigrants-1458490.html