Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Burke spoke about funding. As I said earlier, funding in this area has increased from €1 million in 1997 to more than €30 million in 2008. The number of places has also increased significantly since 1997. I accept that we need new data. We are participating in the OECD survey to establish new data in this area. It should be pointed out that the survey that established that 500,000 people were at the lowest literacy levels was compiled in the mid-1990s. This figure is likely to have decreased considerably since then, as more than 300,000 people have availed of the literacy service in that time. The availability of free second-level education since 1967 means that the percentage of the population that has completed second-level education is now larger than it was in the 1990s. In the circumstances, I consider that the targets that have been set out in the various policy documents, including the national development plan, the programme for Government and the programme for social inclusion, are reasonable and may be even exceeded. We have made substantial progress. I have prioritised expenditure on adult literacy and lifelong learning in the context of the current difficult budgetary situation.

See this speech in context