Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 521: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the current spend or allocation to the various bodies dealing with the Traveller community; the amount of the overall spend or allocation in each of the years from 2000 to date in 2006 in funding all services, projects, schemes, grants, loans and resources to the Traveller community; her views on whether the return on such spending has been satisfactory; and her plans to improve the effectiveness of such services. [2917/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The needs of the Traveller community are a high priority for me and my Department. My Department provides additional resources to enhance the education of Traveller children. In 2004-05, my Department spent over €56 million on Traveller education over and above what is being provided through mainstream education. This expenditure makes special provision to enable members of the Traveller community to successfully access educational services.

In summary, this provision includes 45 pre-schools for Travellers, over 500 resource teachers for Travellers in primary schools, nearly 140 whole-time equivalent posts for Travellers in post-primary schools, 40 visiting teachers for Travellers and enhanced capitation grants for Traveller pupils at primary and post-primary levels. In addition, there are 33 senior Traveller training centres located throughout the country that cater for the needs of Travellers aged 15 years and upwards who have left school early with no qualifications or minimal qualifications. These centres provide a programme of general education, vocational training, work experience as well as guidance, counselling, psychological services and child care services. Approximately 10% of students at these centres are from the settled community. Travellers may chose from mainstream literacy provision or they may attend Traveller specific literacy programmes, which 19 vocational education committees provide.

I am currently awaiting the publication of a report that was prepared by my inspectorate. It addresses the findings of a survey of Traveller education provision. The report is based on an extensive review of the participation and inclusion of Traveller pupils in 30 primary and six post-primary schools. The report will provide recommendations that will inform policies and provide strategies to facilitate schools in enhancing the education provision for Travellers at a national level.

I expect to shortly receive a report on the recommendations for a five year Traveller education strategy. This report spans the full spectrum of lifelong learning from pre-school to adult and further education. It also emphasises the important role that Traveller parents have in their own education and that of their children. The report is in the final stages of preparation. Inclusion is a core principle that has guided the development of this report.

It is important to note that, in 2002, the Department published Guidelines on Traveller Education in Primary Schools and Guidelines on Traveller Education in Second Level Schools. These guidelines highlight the Department's policy on integration, give information on Traveller culture and provide advice on responding to the educational needs of the Traveller students.

In May 2005, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, published Guidelines on Intercultural Education in Primary Schools. This publication, along with the Guidelines on Traveller Education in Primary and in Second Level Schools, provides information and help to schools to increase their understanding of diversity. The NCCA is due to publish guidelines on intercultural education for post-primary schools this year.

The gender equality unit in my Department is supporting Pavee Point with a research project on the development of appropriate mechanisms to monitor education access, participation and outcomes by gender for Travellers and the further education section is funding Pavee Point through the education equality initiative for a project entitled, Parents and Traveller Education. The National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education, established in 2003, aims to facilitate increasing higher education participation by a number of target groups, of which the Traveller community is one. The actions outlined above aim to ensure that Travellers are not disadvantaged or deprived of educational opportunities. I am constantly evaluating the most appropriate ways of ensuring that Travellers receive a quality education.

The total expenditure figures are as follows: 1999-2000 —€39.56 million; 2000-01 —€41.07 million; 2001-02 —€44.29 million; 2002-03 —€47.1 million; 2003-04 —€47.55 million; and 2004-05 —€56.27 million.