Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

A key commitment of the programme for Government is the development and implementation of a national literacy strategy which includes the production of literacy action plans by schools, with school level targets linked to national targets.

The Department is currently undertaking a public consultation process on a draft national strategy on literacy and numeracy covering the period up to 2020. There was a very strong response to the request for submissions up to the deadline of the end of February. In excess of 460 written submissions were received and these are being examined in detail. In parallel, focused consultation meetings are being held with groups of key stakeholders. Implementation will require a sustained commitment from schools and other stakeholders and I want to ensure that their input is considered in finalising the strategy.

Targets and timescales for the implementation of various aspects of the literacy strategy will be set out in the finalised strategy, following consideration of the submissions and meetings with key stakeholders. Consultation meetings will conclude in early May and the strategy will be finalised without delay. In parallel with the preparation of the strategy, preparatory work for implementation is taking place in the Department and its partner agencies.

We must ensure that all our young people have levels of literacy and numeracy that equip them to avail of further education and to engage fully as adults in society and in the economy. The very disappointing and worrying declines in the performance of Irish 15 year olds on PISA literacy and mathematics tests between 2000 and 2009 point to the urgent need for us to improve the literacy and numeracy standards of our students. It is my intention that the literacy and numeracy skills of our students will be improved very significantly so that the declines of recent years can be reversed and Irish students will again be among the best performing groups internationally.

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