Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 477: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the estimated savings that will accrue from the abolition of the Educational Disadvantage Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37957/08]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Educational Disadvantage Committee (EDC) was established under Section 32 of the Education Act, 1998. The role of the EDC was to advise the Minister for Education and Science on policies and strategies to be adopted to identify and correct educational disadvantage. The Committee's final report Moving Beyond Educational Disadvantage was published in December 2005.

During the committee's term of office, between 2002 and 2005, the committee was allocated €100,000 per annum. The EDC's term of office expired in 2005 and it had not been re-established prior to its abolition. While €50,000 was allocated to the EDC for 2007 and 2008, no actual expenditure was incurred.

The abolition of the EDC will not adversely impact upon my Department's commitment to ongoing consultation on educational disadvantage and the wider social inclusion agenda.