Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The various measures introduced over the years have been evaluated separately. We all know of the success of the home-school-community liaison scheme. The reading recovery programme, which is operating in only a limited number of schools at the moment, is working really well. That is why we aim to extend that under the new action plan. Indeed, the same is true of the mathematics programme. The school libraries that were introduced under previous initiatives and which will be extended under the DEIS programme, have been enormously successful. I visited the library in Larkin College, for example, which has opened up new opportunities for the students because of the interaction between them and the librarian.

The elements we have included as key to the current DEIS programme are there because we know they work. That also includes the family literacy schemes. Class size is obviously an issue which we are targeting. However, previous literacy reports have indicated that in areas where class sizes were reduced, literacy had not improved for children because of other family issues. That is why our report stresses that we are supporting the wider context, as well as what is happening within the classroom.

At the moment we are spending approximately €11 million on pre-school programmes, including the early start programme. Such pre-school programmes are aimed at areas of social disadvantage, some are available to Travellers, while others are provided for children with special needs. We recognise that early intervention is crucial in tackling educational disadvantage. I envisage extending the early start programme and will target the top 150. However, I do not want to duplicate the services of an already existing, top class child care service but to ensure there is an educational input to such a service. In that way, we are not just duplicating the care but providing education. My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, will examine this issue but I envisage more early start programmes.

Approximately 3,000 people are attending Youthreach, which works well. I accept what the Deputy has said with regard to it being a pilot project. That also came up in the context of School Matters, the report on behaviour in schools. It is fulfilling a very useful role, as are a number of other bodies, both voluntary and State sponsored, which are on an ad hoc basis or are being supported and funded on a year-to-year basis. To ensure we have proper out-of-school provision, it is my intention to immediately conduct an audit of all available services to ascertain how they can be properly supported within an appropriate structure.

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