Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

Will the Minister accept that quite a few children drop out early from second level because they have not got the proper reading and writing skills and that intervention may be necessary at an earlier stage? Regarding the proposed review of the designation of disadvantaged schools, I heard in my constituency two weeks ago of a nine year old girl so hungry she could not walk to school. That is a shocking indictment. This occurred in an area of deprivation but it is not a RAPID area or an area designated as disadvantaged. What progress has been made with regard to tackling disadvantage in areas not traditionally designated as disadvantaged?

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