Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The programme for Government sets out that education will be a priority for this Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. To that end, we are committing during the tenure of this Government to improving the co-ordination and integration of the delivery of services to the Traveller community across all Government Departments, using available resources more effectively to deliver on principles of social inclusion, particularly in the area of Traveller education through the DEIS programme.

I do not intend to revisit the decision of the previous Government to withdraw resource teacher for traveller posts. The Deputy will understand that Ireland is effectively now in economic receivership because of the disastrous legacy of the last Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government. The requirements to make expenditure savings and to ensure that staffing numbers remain within the public service employment control framework prevent me from revisiting this decision.

The decision, however, is broadly in keeping with the recommendation in the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy that an integrated, collaborative and in-class learning support system should be adopted for all children, including Travellers, with an identified educational need. The strategy aims to enhance access, attendance, participation and engagement for Travellers and is underpinned by the principles of inclusion and mainstreaming with an emphasis on equality and diversity.

Traveller pupils eligible for learning support teaching will, from the next school year, receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools. All schools should select students for learning support on the basis of priority of need.

I recognise that withdrawing all RTT posts will place a strain on existing learning support services in schools. In recognition of this, limited alleviation measures are being provided to assist some schools that have high concentrations of Traveller pupils and who were previously supported by resource teachers for Travellers.

I want to advise the Deputy that, in respect of the DEIS scheme, Traveller pupils have been included in the valid enrolment for the purpose of allocating additional staffing under DEIS from the 2011-12 school year. The schools involved have already received their staffing allocations for next year.

See this speech in context