Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 747: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action which is proposed in respect of the Childhood Development Initiative ten-year strategy; the resources which will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29279/05]

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 765: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action which is proposed in respect of the Childhood Development Initiative ten-year strategy (details supplied); if she will detail the resources to be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29478/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 747 and 765 together.

A key focus of education policy is to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk and to optimise access, participation and outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups. The wide variety of measures in place in Tallaght and other similar areas for tackling educational disadvantage and social exclusion reflects these concerns. These measures range from pre-school interventions, supports for tackling children's literacy problems, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, increased capitation grants and measures to tackle early school leaving and strengthen ties between the school, family and community. In addition, there are interventions in support of youth and in providing second chance education for young people and adults.

DEIS — delivering equality of opportunity in schools — the new action plan for educational inclusion, which I launched last May, aims to ensure the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage. Approximately 600 primary schools and 150 second-level schools will be included in the school support programme. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting during the current school year, and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.

The key principle of early intervention underpins both the early childhood education measure and many of the literacy and numeracy measures being adopted under the new action plan. The new school support programme will integrate a number of schemes and programmes that are currently benefiting schools in west Tallaght. Moving to a single programme of supports for all disadvantaged schools will result in a far more integrated and co-ordinated approach, one of the key principles of the childhood development initiative. The issue raised by the Deputy will be considered by my Department in the context of the implementation of the new action plan.