Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his plans to address the issue of provision of facilities for adult literacy here; the budget for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19505/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds adult literacy services through annual grants to Vocational Education Committees (VECs) which deliver the services locally. The disbursement of funds is a matter for each VEC, which, subject to its budget, decides the nature and extent of the services to be provided in its area and the manner in which funds for these services should be spent. Annual funding for adult literacy increased from €1 million in 1997 to over €30 million in 2008. In the same period, the annual number of participants increased from 5,000 to almost 49,000. In 2009, funding is being maintained at similar levels to 2008. A number of initiatives have also been developed to tackle adult literacy. These include the Intensive Tuition in Adult Basic Education Programme, which provides up to six hours of tuition per week to learners instead of the normal two hours; a family literacy pilot scheme to address poor literacy from an intergenerational family perspective; and a workplace literacy programme (the Return to Learning Scheme) in all Local Authority areas for outdoor workers. Participants on Community Employment Schemes can avail of intensive literacy tuition provided by the VECs. There are other special funding projects including literacy for deaf people, for people with dyslexia and for native Irish speakers in Gaeltacht areas. Finally, in partnership with the National Adult Literacy Agency my Department has provided funding for several successful TV series to raise awareness around adult literacy issues.