Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As the Minister of State with responsibility for lifelong learning, I am aware of the importance of adult literacy. The acquisition of adequate literacy skills is necessary for adults to derive benefit from any education or training courses in which they want or need to engage. Adult literacy, in addition to reading and writing, extends to such basic education as numeracy, social and personal development, learning to learn and IT skills. In the modern context, adult literacy is as much about an individual's self-esteem and confidence as it is about the traditional reading, writing and arithmetic. Literacy in all its guises enables an individual to participate more fully in society, to contribute more in relationships, both personal and professional, and to make the most of himself or herself in our competitive, globalised economy.

In concrete terms, funding for adult literacy has increased from €1 million in 1997 to €30 million in 2007. This has increased participation in literacy tuition from 8,000 learners in 1997 to 44,000 in 2007. Targets in the national development plan have consistently been met or exceeded. Under Towards 2016, an extra 7,000 places are to be provided during the period 2007-09. Some 3,000 of these were allocated in 2007 and provision has been made for a further 500 in 2008. Adult literacy also features prominently in the national action plan for social inclusion and the programme for Government.

Ireland is participating in the feasibility study for a new OECD survey, the programme for the international assessment of adult competencies, which will survey adults between the ages of 16 years and 64 years in their homes on a range of skills covering their interest, attitude and capacity to access, manage, understand, integrate and evaluate various types of information as well as to respond and communicate with others in the information age. Participation in the survey will be decided after the results of the feasibility study.

My Department supports a number of other initiatives in the field of adult literacy, not least of which is part-funding the television series "Written Off". My Department has part-funded a number of television series organised by NALA over the years with the express aim of increasing awareness of adult literacy and encouraging individuals to participate in adult literacy classes or initiatives. I am glad to report that this series is proving just as successful as its predecessors in these aims and I would like to commend NALA on its work in this area. Hopefully, the example set by the courageous learners featured in the series will serve as an inspiration to individuals in a similar situation. As the Minister of State with responsibility for lifelong learning, I attended the programme's formal launch and had the pleasure of meeting its participants. I agree with the Deputy that they are inspirational.

The delivering equality of opportunity in schools action plan, DEIS, has seen the extension of literacy and numeracy programmes and the commencement of a family literacy project that addresses literacy from the intergenerational perspective. The key principle of early intervention underpins many of the initiatives being adopted under DEIS. My Department also funds the intensive tuition in adult basic education programme, ITABE, which provides up to six hours of tuition per week to learners instead of the normal two hours. As well as these initiatives, literacy tuition is available under the back to education initiative through which funds are also made available to community education programmes.

There are specially targeted literacy programmes for those in need of particular literacy services, for example, deaf people, people with dyslexia and native Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas. There are a number of workplace literacy and basic education schemes in operation around the country, such as the return to learning scheme for local authority outdoor staff nationwide and the FÁS-VEC return to education scheme for participants on the community employment scheme operated by FÁS.

I would like to reiterate my Department's commitment to addressing the issue of adult literacy to enable all people, particularly the low-skilled and disadvantaged, to participate as fully as possible in our modern, globalised society and economy.

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