Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 636: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the services available specifically to members of the Traveller Community; if she will ensure that the budgets for these services will be maintained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4477/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Substantial improvements have been made with regard to the number of Traveller children participating in the education system. Information to hand indicates that participation at primary level and transition to post-primary is very close to 100% with in excess of 8,000 Traveller children enrolled in age appropriate classes in primary schools and some 2,600 enrolled at Post-Primary.

A key development in terms of advancing education for the Traveller Community has been the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched by my colleague Minister Mary Hanafin T.D. in November 2006. The Report covers all aspects of Traveller Education from pre-school right through to further and higher education within a lifelong learning context. The primary aim of the Strategy is to ensure a quality, integrated education for Travellers underpinned by the principles of inclusion and mainstreaming with an emphasis on equality and diversity and the adoption of an intercultural approach. This is in line with the Government's recommendations in the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) (2005).

At present my Department expends in excess of €70 million per annum directly on Traveller education from pre-school through primary, post primary and further and higher education. Direct supports include 29 segregated Traveller pre-schools, some 503 resource teachers for Traveller pupils at primary level and additional teaching hours at post primary level, enhanced capitation for Traveller pupils at primary and post primary, the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers, school transport arrangements for Traveller pupils and 33 Senior Traveller Training Centres.

My Department currently provides funding for segregated Traveller pre-schools. However, the phasing out of segregated education at all levels of the Education system is one of the objectives set out in the 2006 Traveller Education Strategy. This strategy built on earlier reports including the 1995 Task Force on the Travelling Community which specifically recommended the end of segregated provision. In looking at young Traveller children's experience in a segregated pre-school, the Traveller Education Strategy pointed out the missed opportunity for 'Traveller and settled children living in the same geographical area to interact with one another, go to pre-school together and learn from one another'.

The target set in the Traveller Education Strategy is for the integration of all pre-school services for Travellers over a 10 year period, i.e., by 2016.

With the introduction of the ECCE scheme which provides universal free pre-school provision for all children, the Boards of Management of segregated pre-schools have been asked to look at their service coming within the ECCE scheme or to look at closing the Traveller pre-school where there are sufficient places available in community or private pre-schools where the Traveller child can avail of an integrated service place. Because of the alternatives available, my Department is not going to continue to maintain a budget for a segregated service when all interested parties are in unanimous agreement that this segregated service should end.

The Visiting Teacher service for Travellers (VTST), comprising 41 posts nationally, supports and facilitates the Traveller community to engage fully at all levels of the education system, from pre-school through compulsory education to post-Leaving Certificate programmes. Visiting Teachers work successfully with families, schools and other relevant agencies to promote and maximise participation, and to ensure continuity of education and optimum attainment for all Traveller children in an intercultural, anti-racist education system. As announced in May 2009, the VTST is one of four services now coming together under the remit of the National Educational Welfare Board in a new strategic integration of services focusing on participation, attendance and retention in the school system.

The other services include the Home School Community Liaison Service (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP) as well as the National Educational Welfare Service. This expanded remit will bring together the four individual services under one common management team thereby providing for a single, more focused, strategic direction at local, regional and national levels reflecting equally the nature and strength of each of the services. The underlying rationale for this new single strategic approach, acknowledging and utilising the combined strengths and capacities of the four services, is to deliver better outcomes for children, families, including the Traveller Community, and schools.

All Adult and Further Education programmes funded by my Department are already open to Travellers. This includes part-time programmes funded under the Adult Literacy and Community Education scheme and the Back to Education Initiative as well as full-time programmes such as Youthreach, Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme and the Post-Leaving Certificate programme. Travellers are accessing these programmes in increasing numbers.

In addition, the Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) programme has been in operation since 1974. The STTC programme provides second chance educational opportunities for members of the Traveller community over 18 years of age. The programme is usually of two years duration and learners receive a training allowance.

The 2006 'Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy' recommended that STTC provision be reviewed. Following that, there was a Value for Money Review of the Youthreach and STTC programmes, which was published in 2008, and which recommends the phasing out of the STTC programme over the medium to long term and the integration of Travellers into mainstream Adult and Further Education programmes. It is on this basis that my Department has decided to phase out segregated provision for Travellers.

STTC provision was reduced by 100 places to 984 places from September 2009 and Budget 2010 provided for a reduction of a further 300 places to 684 places with effect from September 2010. My Department is currently in discussions with the Irish Vocational Education Association, representing the VECs, to decide on the best method of progressing the phasing out process while continuing to provide for the education needs of adult Travellers. The aim of the strategy is to remove all remaining segregated provision and to this end my Department has been in contact with the Patrons of the two remaining segregated Traveller schools and arrangements for the phased closure of the schools are currently being considered. The Visiting Teachers for Travellers, supported by other local school support personnel will work with families to ensure that children can be accommodated in other schools. My Department is also liaising with the relevant VECs regarding the future of the two remaining Junior Education Centres that cater for Traveller students.

In excess of €1.5m was spent in 2009 on exceptional school transport arrangements for approx 900 primary and post primary Traveller children. These arrangements have been maintained for the current school year but are being reviewed in the light of the Traveller Education Strategy which states that Traveller children should use the mainstream school transport scheme in operation at present and that only in exceptional circumstances, based on special needs, should special transport be provided as a positive action measure.

A consultative forum to focus on addressing the implementation of the strategy involving Traveller representative groups, Education Partners and other key stakeholders was established in October 2009. To date two meetings of the Forum have been held and a third meeting is scheduled for early June.

The principle of inclusion is at the core of the current strategy and future provision will focus on the development of more inclusive and intercultural school practice and environment through the whole school planning process, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. A key aim of the strategy is to enhance access and education service delivery to Travellers. Future provision will focus on 'individual educational need' rather than 'Traveller identity'. It is not possible to give the Deputy any commitments in terms of current budgets being maintained into the future. This will depend on a number of factors including the successful implementation of the recommendations of the strategy and the redistribution in favour of provision on the basis of identified educational need of Traveller students and the need for my Department to prioritise the available resources to maximum effect across the education sector to enhance educational outcomes for all including Traveller children and adults.