Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
307. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills his estimates as to the total value of his Department's investment in Traveller education for each year 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 projected, with a full explanation as to the way these figures are calculated in each case. [7421/13]
View answerThis Government has tried to protect, insofar as possible, overall expenditure in education to ensure appropriate provision for all system users, including members of the Travelling Community.
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 Strategy covers, in a very comprehensive manner, aspects of Traveller Education from pre-school right through to further and higher education within a lifelong learning context.
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 individual educational need rather than that of ethnic or cultural background.
A number of other decisions and policy changes have resulted in the allocation of resources to ensure their most appropriate use in an inclusive education system. These include fulfilling the recommendations of the Traveller Education Strategy, the National Recovery Plan 2011 - 2014 as well as the implementation of Value for Money Reviews of School Transport and Senior Traveller Training Centres.
I have arranged for the financial information requested by the Deputy to be forwarded to him by my Department.
