Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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177. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department currently collects information on the attainment, transfer, attendance, suspension and expulsion rates of Traveller students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53664/13]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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178. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way his Department intends to monitor the impact of recent cuts to traveller specific education supports on the educational outcomes of Traveller students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53665/13]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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179. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 19 November 2013, the amount of funding previously allocated to Traveller specific education provision that has been redeployed; the mainstream programmes on which it is being spent; and the the way Travellers are benefitting from this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53666/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 to 179, inclusive, together.

Current policy in relation to Traveller education is underpinned by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with relevant stakeholders including Traveller representative groups.

The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy and, accordingly, the focus of both current and future provision is on the development of a more inclusive school environment through the whole school planning process, teaching practice, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need.

Following the phasing out of segregated Traveller provision, Traveller pupils now avail of the following mainstream resources, similar to all other children:

- Free Pre-school Year

- School transport

- Classroom Teacher Allocation at Primary and Post-Primary level

- Learning Resource Teachers at Primary and Post-Primary Level in the case of identified special educational need

- Further and adult Education

Recorded Traveller participation rates in education in recent years show:

- A total of some 12,000 self-identified Travellers in mainstream primary and post-primary education.

- The majority of Traveller students transfer from primary to post-primary education.

- The number of Traveller children enrolled in post-primary school has risen by 46% in the 7 years to 2011-2012

- Participation rates in the junior cycle have steadily improved from 1,598 Traveller students recorded in 2004/05 to 1,898 in the 2011/12 school year.

- The number of Travellers progressing to senior cycle has consistently improved in recent years from 260 in 2004/05 to 800 in 2011/12.

- In 2012, 579 Travellers were enrolled on the Youthreach programme and 672 Travellers participated in the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI).

- The estimated number attending third level is 3% compared to 53% of the general population. The 'Equal Access' survey of the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of entrants to higher education in 2011/12 indicates that 29 who identified as Travellers attended third level compared to 24 in 2008/09.

- As data collected throughout the education system is based on self-identification, the actual number of Travellers in education may be higher than the figures quoted above.

Information on the attainment of all pupils at second level is collected by the State Examinations Commission. Information relating to attendance, suspensions and expulsions is collected by the National Educational Welfare Board.

My Department is currently revising the collection and collation of data on Traveller pupils through the Primary Census form for primary pupils and through the Post-Primary Pupil Database for post-primary pupils which will facilitate improved monitoring of progression and attainment of Traveller across the primary and post-primary school sectors.

Following the phasing out of segregated Traveller provision, Travellers now avail of the following mainstream resources, similar to all other children:

- Free Pre-school Year

- School transport

- Classroom Teacher Allocation at Primary and Post-Primary level

- Learning Resource Teachers at Primary and Post-Primary Level in the case of identified special educational need

- Further and adult Education

The cuts to which the Deputy refers relate to the reduction in funding for segregated Traveller specific programmes such as Resource Teachers for Travellers, Visiting Teacher Service and the phasing out of Senior Traveller Training Centres. A portion of the funding previously allocated to segregated education provision for Travellers has been redeployed to mainstream programmes in line with the principle of inclusion. However significant Traveller specific funding also remains in the system. In 2012, the most recent year for which full expenditure details are available, €20.6m was paid in respect of some 12,000 Travellers in the education system in addition to funding already made available for mainstream provision.