Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I will refer the Deputy's last question to the Minister, Deputy Roche, as I do not have a breakdown of the figures. Some €2 billion is being allocated this year to fund the housing needs of approximately 13,000.

On education, while some 5,000 additional posts have been provided, the main issue in Sustaining Progress has been the attempt to improve education in the areas of disadvantage and special needs. Not all demands have been met in this regard but the Government has endeavoured to put more resources into those areas. At a recent meeting of the social partners under Sustaining Progress, which took place before the announcement of the creation of the 5,000 additional posts, it was emphasised that the pupil-teacher ratio must be improved.

I answered a question from Deputy Rabbitte on this issue recently. The Minister for Education and Science has rightly targeted resources at those areas in which there is social disadvantage. This is not to say we should not try to get the numbers down in every case, because we should. However, those areas where class sizes are large and where there are difficulties of disadvantage, whether rural or urban, must be the primary target. The Department of Education and Science has completed a full review of the measures that have been put in place over the last 20 years to support pupils from these areas.

The new framework will be introduced on a phased basis from the beginning of the new school year in September. Its implementation will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million and will incorporate the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system. The social partnership recently discussed the survey on reading literacy in disadvantaged primary schools which was launched some months ago by the Minister, Deputy Hanafin. This survey involved national assessments of the reading abilities of pupils in first and fifth classes and the mathematics skills of fourth class students. A report of this evaluation was published last week and the OECD assessment is also available.

Our objective has been to target resources at these particular areas and to deal with the disadvantaged situation of Traveller children in the education system. The measures in Sustaining Progress have not perhaps had as great an effect across all aspects of education but they have certainly helped in the area of disadvantage, which was selected as a priority area under the agreement.

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