Mr. Enda Hughes:

I thank the committee for the invitation to attend in order to update it on initiatives to support Traveller participation in education. My name is Enda Hughes and I am principal officer with responsibility for equity of access in higher education. Accompanying me is Ms Patricia Sheehan, assistant principal officer in the Department's social inclusion unit.

A key objective of Traveller education policy in recent years has been the phasing out of segregated Traveller provision and the inclusion of Traveller children and young people in mainstream education. Funding for segregated Traveller provision has been incorporated into the overall school and other funding streams in order to provide supports for Traveller pupils in mainstream schools. The DEIS programme provides for smaller class sizes and other supports, including additional teaching posts, home school community liaison co-ordinators, DEIS grants, enhanced book grants, curricular supports, priority access to continued professional development and the school excellence fund-DEIS. The DEIS programme costs €125 million per year.

It is acknowledged that not all Travellers attend DEIS schools. The Department provides significant support across all schools to students with additional needs, including special education teachers, special needs assistants and school transport. The spend in this area is €1.9 billion per year, which is an increase of 52% since 2011.

The National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, works with schools and is concerned with learning behaviour and social and emotional development. Since 2011, sanctioned NEPS psychological numbers have increased significantly. In addition, all children, including Traveller children, can avail of support provided by Tusla education welfare officers regarding attendance in schools.

The Department's commitment to improving educational outcomes for Travellers and Roma is reflected in a number of key policies and initiatives, including the national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy. The national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy sub-committee provides an overall focus on improving educational for Travellers and Roma, including the implementation of all education actions in the strategy, of which there are over 30. A national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy pilot project has been established in four areas in partnership with Tusla education support services and the Departments of Justice and Equality and the Children and Youth Affairs. This two-year pilot project will target attendance, participation and school completion in specific Traveller and Roma communities regionally in Tuam, Bunclody, Enniscorthy, Finglas, Ballymun, Coolock and Cork. Each pilot area is being provided with one additional educational welfare officer, supplied by Tusla, one additional home school liaison co-ordinator, supplied by the Department of Education and Skills, and two additional Traveller and Roma education workers, supplied by the Department of Justice and Equality. The teams will work together with parents, children, young people, schools, Traveller and Roma communities and service providers to remove the barriers impacting on Traveller and Roma children's attendance, participation and retention in education.

Expected outcomes of the pilot include improved attendance, participation and retention of Travellers and Roma in education and improved engagement with Traveller representative groups. These pilots will inform the development of policy and innovative solutions to issues identified as barriers to participation and engagement.

A number of new initiatives to support increased participation in higher education by target groups, including Irish Travellers, are being rolled out across the higher education sector. They include the programme for access to higher education. In the area of higher education, the Department is seeking to ensure the implementation of the action plan to increase Traveller participation in higher education with the implementation partners, and ensure that students from the Traveller community are supported to enter and successfully participate in higher education.

While recognising the supports across the education spectrum that are in place to support Traveller participation, the purpose of the action plan is to bring a focus of attention and afford particular priority to certain actions aimed at increasing Traveller participation in higher education. While it is evident that progress is being made, we still have work to do to increase educational outcomes overall.

My colleague and I are happy to take questions from the committee on the subject.