Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

"Written Off" is a series I have watched over the past number of weeks. It was a joint project between RTE and the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA, and it was well worth watching. It followed the lives of 11 Irish adults aged between 17 and 50 as they attended an intensive eight-week course. These people came from different parts of the country and from very different backgrounds. The one thing they all had in common was that they all had difficulties with reading and writing and the series, which was the first of its kind in Ireland, followed their progress as they returned to education and faced the challenge of learning to read and write as an adult. It also followed the highs and lows that this challenge brought, as well as the new friendships they made over the eight-week course.

I watched this series with great interest because it struck a chord with my own brush with adult literacy. I was one of the many who left school at 14 not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I was pushed out the door because I was one of 56 in the class and I was not a "A" or a "B" student. After leaving school, I started work in a small family printing firm, where it occurred to my boss that maybe I had something to offer. He sent me to do a course in typing at night and that is where my education began. I was one of the lucky ones. I am still not the best speller in the class but I have learned invaluable life skills along the way.

In Ireland today, the problem of illiteracy, especially among adults, is more common than we might think. Agencies and organisations work to help people with this problem but the first and most important hurdle is for people to admit they have difficulties reading and writing. NALA was established in 1980 and since 1985 it has received funding to run a national office. It offers advisory services in adult literacy work and the agency has done great work in highlighting the adult literacy problem in the State. However, more can and should be done to highlight the extent of the problem, to provide extended support services and to encourage people back into education.

According to NALA, more than 28,000 people participate in VEC adult literacy programmes across Ireland. This is a fourfold increase since 1997, when 5,000 people attended literacy services. However, this is less than 5% of adults who experience literacy difficulties. What about all the others who slip under the radar because, according to them, the services are not available? This is where the problem lies. A large number of illiterate people do not want anyone to know they cannot read or write and, therefore, they never obtain the help they need. Incredibly, the most recent statistics the Department of Education and Science can provide on illiteracy date back to 1995 when approximately 25% of Irish adults aged between 16 and 64 were at level one, the lowest literacy level. The Department assures us that the position has improved since then, but there is no proof of this.

Although Ireland has experienced a huge surge in wealth in recent years, the level of illiteracy remains worryingly high. According to the latest international survey, approximately 500,000 Irish adults have problems with basic reading, writing and mathematics. Illiteracy can affect all strands of society, not just the marginalised. Almost 30% of the workforce has only attained the junior certificate or lower, while a staggering 10% has only primary level or no formal qualification at all. Furthermore, 25% of adults still lack basic skills in literacy and numeracy. It is, therefore, vital that we put in place every support to encourage people to return to education, no matter their age. The problem is people can be reluctant to admit they cannot read or write and feel a stigma attaches to being illiterate.

Adult learning is an excellent resource and needs to be fully supported by the Government and the Department of Education and Science. Last week, I had the privilege of presenting 20 FETAC awards to young people who had left school. Their enthusiasm showed on their faces. I told them that it was only their first step and that I hoped they would continue to learn. To reach one's potential, one must learn. I ask the Minister of State for his support.

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