Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

A key priority for the education system is to continue to respond to the diverse needs of learners at all levels. In particular, this means increasing the flexibility and diversity of provision and ensuring quality across the system. Much progress has been made in this area, as may be seen in the substantial programme of curriculum change across both primary and post-primary levels, the development of new learning opportunities outside the traditional post-primary system, the expansion of third level, the growth of a new fourth level and the provision of adult and further education opportunities. In the time available, I will highlight a number of policies and programmes that are particularly relevant to the provision of education services in Dublin.

The educational outcome for the student is crucially dependent on the quality of learning in the school. In 2009 the inspectorate of my Department will continue to support schools and promote improvement through the whole school evaluation and inspection programme in primary and post-primary schools. Through its school evaluation work in the period ahead, my Department will maintain a focus on promoting best practice in school development planning and self-evaluation. This continues to be an important objective for our system, and the evaluation reports provide many examples of leadership in this area.

Numerous influential reports have highlighted the fact that teacher quality is the single most important factor — far above anything else — in improving outcomes. It is vital, therefore, that we not only continue to attract the right people into teaching but that we provide them with the continuum of professional development opportunities they need to be effective educators. The Teaching Council has been given a key statutory role in ensuring that the teaching profession operates to a high standard, and it is aware of the priority my Department attaches to improvements in certain areas, particularly pre-service and induction. In addition, significant agreements were reached just this week on the promotion of teachers and the mechanism by which schools can deal with serious underperformance by teachers in the classroom. The whole school community, in the years ahead, will benefit greatly from these agreements. They are carefully balanced agreements with promotions based on merit and discipline procedures in place for serious underperformance by teachers. These agreements have been accepted by all the teacher unions and they will come into effect in the next school year.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department's action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, is being rolled out on a phased basis over the period 2005 to 2010, and focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from pre-school through second-level education. There are 876 schools participating in DEIS, including 103 schools — 76 primary and 27 post primary schools — located on the north side of Dublin. Schools in the DEIS programme are provided with a range of additional financial and other supports, including additional capitation, access to numeracy and literacy supports, home school community liaison services and access to the junior certificate schools programme and the leaving certificate applied at post-primary level.

There are 17 school completion programme projects on the north side of Dublin, comprising 28 post-primary schools and 80 primary schools, targeting approximately 4,720 young people in school and 117 young people out of school, with a total funding allocation of €4,473,905 for 2008-09. Under the SCP, 13 schools participate in the support teacher project, which aims to co-ordinate a whole-school approach to designing and implementing good practice and strategies which will help to prevent the occurrence of disruptive behaviour and to teach and counsel small groups and individuals who exhibit persistent behavioural difficulties in the classroom. The educational element of the north side teenage parenting project, under the teenage parenting support initiative, is also supported under SCP.

Earlier this year, the Government prioritised a programme of investment to deliver additional primary school places in areas of significant demographic change, including the north Dublin area. As a result, a total of 26 new primary schools were successfully delivered on time for September 2008. Schools in the Dublin area included Skerries, Swords, Balbriggan, Lucan, Tyrellstown, Phibblestown, Belmayne, Saggart, Balbriggan and Porterstown. This programme of rapid accommodation delivery has gone a long way towards addressing the issue of capacity in areas identified as experiencing difficulties in this regard. My Department's rapid delivery programme for 2009 will be focused on extension projects in existing schools that are already at architectural planning at various stages of progression. These will also deliver additional permanent accommodation where most needed. I note in particular that the building project at Springdale Road national school in Raheny will commence early in 2009.

The 2009 capital allocation will also cover expenditure on commitments carried forward from 2008, and other miscellaneous items such as the purchase of prefabricated accommodation, the payment of the minor works grant to primary schools and the provision of furnishings and equipment to schools. Schools in the north Dublin area will also benefit in this regard.

Overall investment in education has increased from €3.1 billion in 1997 to €9.3 billion this year. The Government has provided an additional €302 million for education next year, bringing my Department's allocation to €9.6 billion. It will be necessary in the more testing economic climate ahead for us to continue to target and prioritise our resources to maximum effect for everyone. This will ensure that we deliver the best possible outcomes for all learners. I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

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