Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 678: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date with regard to tackling educational disadvantage; her plans for the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19758/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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A key focus of the Government's 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 for tackling educational disadvantage and social exclusion reflect these concerns. These measures include preschool interventions, supports for tackling children's literacy problems, reduced pupil teacher ratios, increased capitation grants, measures to tackle early school leaving and strengthen ties between the school, the family and the community. In addition, there are interventions in support of youth, access to third-level and in providing "second chance education" for young people and adults.

My Department's approach to addressing educational disadvantage and social exclusion is set in the context of Towards 2016, and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-16. Both Towards 2016 and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion adopt a life cycle approach in addressing issues of social exclusion, including educational disadvantage, in the context of a ten year framework. The key life cycle phases include children, people of working age, older people and people with disabilities. Under Towards 2016, the Government and the social partners have agreed to work together over the next ten years towards a number of long-term goals for children including the goal that every child should leave primary school literate and numerate and complete a senior cycle or equivalent programme appropriate to their capacity and interests. The total provision for educational inclusion programmes in 2007 is nearly €730 million across all levels of education. This represents an increase of nearly €90 million on the comparable 2006 figure. This includes additional funding for the implementation of measures under the DEIS action plan at preschool, primary and second-level, additional funding for further education programmes as well as an increase in provision for third-level student support schemes.

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for educational inclusion that I launched in 2005, focuses on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities, from preschool through second-level education (3 to 18 years). The new action plan represents a shift in emphasis away from individual initiatives, each addressing a particular aspect of the problem, with the new plan adopting a multifaceted and more integrated approach. The key principle of early intervention underpins both the early childhood education measure and many of the literacy and numeracy measures and those to address early school leaving being adopted under the action plan. The plan will place a renewed emphasis on the involvement of parents and families in children's education in schools.

Measures under the action plan rolled out in the 2006/07 school year included additional financial supports for schools, reduced class sizes in urban primary schools serving the most disadvantaged communities, expanded literacy supports and programmes such as Reading Recovery, extension of Home/School/Community Liaison (HSCL) and School Completion Programme services, enhanced support for the School Books Grant Scheme and expansion of the rural coordinator service.