Deputy Enright made the point I made earlier when I said there was no point rushing ahead to implement recommendations earlier in the year when what was needed was a co-ordinated approach and action plan to see what is working.
The Early Start pilot project is available in 40 schools. Teachers and parents involved in the project say the children who have moved on to primary education have acclimatised to their surroundings much earlier, have socialised better and have settled in very well. However, other reports state there is no substantial, cognitive or scholastic improvement in children who attend Early Start projects over those who do not. That is not to suggest that children's socialisation and acclimatisation in their surroundings is not important: it is because it helps them to move forward. These issues have to be considered in the context of deciding whether to develop that particular scheme. The project also encourages parental involvement which is important when assisting children in this sector to feel more comfortable in their school surroundings. Currently 56 child care workers and 40 schools participate in the project and there are 1,680 places available. The project is being seriously considered in the context of the review to see how we can move it forward.
The Deputy also mentioned Youthreach. That programme has been a good option for a number of young people, in particular young people who have not been able to reach their potential within the ordinary second level system, because it targets their skills and talents. Youthreach works particularly well in disadvantaged areas and enables such students to remain within the education sector and ensures they leave school with some sort of qualifications. Also, it provides them with guidance and counselling and, in some cases, it offers child care. That is one of the examples of an integrated approach, about which the Deputy asked earlier. Deputy Crowe, when speaking earlier about Tallaght, also referred to it.
I fully accept that in the classroom one is dealing not only with the education needs of the child but with the family situation, the housing issue and community issues. That is the reason the home-school community liaison officer can be crucial in an area and should be developed further. Such officers form those links for those young people to ensure we are not dealing with only one specific element of their ability. In that context there will be a close relationship with the Departments of Health and Children and Environment, Heritage and Local Government when dealing with community issues, not to mention the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
The redesignation or the designation of areas of disadvantage is a question that always arises. How does one define disadvantage? For some it might be a shortage of money, for others it might be housing and for others it might be family or social background. What is important is that we can identify targeted responses to the areas of most need, taking on board a whole range of factors. To come up with a scheme to designate, whether under a partnership, urban disadvantage or rural disadvantage is difficult but we can all identify areas of need.
The National Education Welfare Board is being extended. It now employs 64 education welfare officers who are working throughout the country and, hopefully, will employ more shortly.