Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are two analytical papers dealing with the prediction of demographics, which are based, obviously, on objective population numbers. The Department has approximately 300 different planning areas, on which projections of emerging needs are made. Obviously, at second level we are informed by the flow through in those areas of children in existing schools and the pattern they have adopted of the schools they go to and where pressures may emerge.

The Deputy is right; there is always capacity to improve here. One of the features is the small-area data now available from the census, which is certainly enhancing our capacity to plan. That is particularly true when we come to areas such as special educational need that Deputy Catherine Martin raised. Both of those publications are available on the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service website. I know the Deputy has had examples and I am sure Mr. Tom Plunkett and his colleagues would be happy to look at particular examples if she feels there are issues.

There will always be a problem that people might want to go to a particular school but there is capacity in another school. The Department is under pressure to ensure that there are seats for every pupil at a time of growing numbers. It is necessary to use planning areas and look at the overall capacity versus the demand within that area rather than looking at a school that is showing very rapidly rising enrolments and another that is suffering falling enrolments. One cannot plan while ignoring the capacity elsewhere in the system. In this area, the Department's system on the capital side has improved steadily over the years. The constraint is cash and not planning. The Department has brought many projects to a state of readiness so that if money is available it will always be used.

The action plan is clearly a statement of strategy specifically for the next three years, but also with a longer-term vision going out ten years. Obviously, it will be dependent on annual budgeting; that is the reality in terms of input. The committee is today examining our spend of €8.7 billion between current and capital expenditure. There is an important element of ensuring that the impact of that is maximised in the various headings, such as special education and disadvantage. While there is always an important focus on the incremental change possible in any one year, it is just as important to ensure the €8.7 billion we spend is spent to the maximum effect as it is to compete for the what is only €600 million available for the coming year. The action plan looks to deliver more effectively within existing programmes. Many of the actions are about how we improve.

In terms of judging the best education system, we have set out five separate goals each of which has target outcomes to pursue. Those would be the types of targets in which we would be looking to see improvement. There are international ratings, some of which are very narrow in their interpretation. However, we would, for example, be looking at improvements in literacy and numeracy, and science would be a key element.

We are looking at our capacity to meet skills gaps as they emerge. We are looking at progression of young people from disadvantaged areas or disadvantaged groups through to higher education. We are looking at how quickly we deliver an apprenticeship and traineeship model that would compete with the models in some of the countries that are really strong in this area. I am convinced that we need a strong and well respected apprenticeship and trainee sector which was devastated in the crash and needs to be not only rebuilt in the narrow frame that it operated, which was the traditional skills, but also made a route for progression in many other areas of services and goods. There is a comprehensive list.

On the industrial relations issue, the Deputy is right in saying that the ASTI has not participated in the roll-out of the new junior certificate English syllabus which is coming to its final examination for that cohort of children in June. That is extremely unfortunate. I have met representatives of the ASTI and my officials continue to meet them. We are very keen for the ASTI to come on board and that students would not be put at risk in respect of the 10% of marks.