Colette Kelleher (Independent)
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The Senator is asking about the need to look at DEIS and for that to be independent. That includes Travellers but it is not exclusively about Travellers. Our committee is looking at Travellers who are within that group.

We have had four weeks of hearings on education and we have heard some distressing and disturbing testimonies from people who have shared their experiences of the educational system, but also in regard to mental health and health issues as well. Oein de Bhairdúin said that a misconception and a myth that is often repeated is that Travellers do not value education. It is very clear that Travellers do. Representatives of Pavee Point said that Travellers do not so much as drop out, but are pushed out. That was a very clear statement on their part.

The Joint Committee on Education and Skills has done sterling work on researching the reduced timetables, a practice that was hidden in plain sight.

Only 80% of Traveller children transfer from primary school to secondary school. That is an estimate; we do not have firm figures. One in four leaves before the age of 13. Travellers are 50 times more likely to leave school without a leaving certificate than the general population. Only 167 Travellers have accessed third level education and wheels are now turning in respect of that. NALA produced a new statistic today that half of Travellers have poor functional literacy, putting them at grave educational disadvantage.

All of the steps, including the pilots and the NITRIS, indicate that something is happening. If it was twice as likely for a Traveller to leave school without a leaving certificate than a settled person, it would be an issue, but it is 50 times. I asked this question of the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Daly. Does the Minister accept there is a crisis in education affecting Travellers and that the actions need to be viewed in that light?

I believe the Minister promised in the Seanad that he would take forward the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill. When will that be brought before the Dáil? All the NGOs have called for a national education strategy. We have an element of it with the higher education strategy. Senator Coffey identified gaps in further education and we heard about gaps in community education. We hear of great initiatives such as Tobar in Marino. It needs to be put on a firm financial footing so that it can do its important work in encouraging teachers from the Traveller community to be nurtured and brought forward. I understand the Yellow Flag programme is not funded by the Department of Education and Skills but by the Department of Justice and Equality, which I do not understand. That also needs to be put on a firm financial footing.

It is about the scale of the job that needs to be done. The pilots are welcome and what was announced last week for higher education is welcome. However, are they anything like enough to address the disparities?

We are having the same conversations here as we are having in Geneva. Reports will be coming back from Geneva and the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill will be a simple box to tick. I would like responses from both Ministers.