Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers, the scope of which reflects the wide variety of factors that are central to tackling educational disadvantage. The DEIS action plan is designed to provide children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged areas with a comprehensive package of extra supports. DEIS represents a shift in emphasis away from individual initiatives, each addressing a particular aspect of the problem and adopts a multifaceted and more integrated approach. Greater cross-departmental and interagency co-operation is also prioritised to ensure a joined-up approach to the provision of services for children at risk.

With the roll-out of the DEIS action plan, many of the issues raised in this publication are being addressed, including early education, transition from primary to second level, the role of the family and community, literacy and numeracy, attendance and early school leaving, teacher retention and development, and so on.

Just some of the wide range of extra supports being targeted at children in the most disadvantaged areas include the following: special literacy and numeracy programmes with intensive extra tuition to help pupils with difficulties at an early stage; smaller classes; after-school and holiday time supports, including homework clubs and summer camps; extra funding for school books schemes; and school meals.

I am also conscious of the positive impact that working with parents in disadvantaged areas can have on their children's progress. Therefore, the home-school-community liaison scheme has been extended, and a new family literacy initiative is being developed in co-operation with the National Adult Literacy Agency and other partners.

This comprehensive package of extra support for children and their parents will improve attainment levels. I know the scale of the challenges facing children and young people in disadvantaged areas but I am confident that they can be overcome. Even before the DEIS plan was put in place there was evidence that the extra investment in social inclusion measures made by the Government between 1997 and 2005 had made a difference. By 2005, some 85.8% of Irish 20-24 year olds had attained upper second-level education or equivalent, up from 82.6% in 2000 and putting Ireland way ahead of the EU average of 77.5%.

See this speech in context