Written Answers. - Report of Interdepartmental Group on Urban Crime.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
190
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B. of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that the educational services have an important contribution to make to the special circumstances of Ronanstown through ensuring access to relevant high-quality education and training programmes both for young people and the adult community has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
191
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B. of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that the proposals in the Green Paper Education for a Changing World in particular, the emphasis on quality and equality of access included in the key aims set out for the educational system, are of particular relevance to areas such as Ronanstown has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
192
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B. of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West that the targeting of resources on areas of disadvantage should continue has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
193
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B. of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that Adult Education is of crucial importance in combating the consequences of poverty, has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
194
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B.1 of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that additional resources should be provided for the adult literacy and community education scheme and access to key educational courses under part time adult education programmes should be improved has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
195
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether the conclusion of the Report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that the vocational training opportunity scheme should be expanded and access to it broadened has been implemented, if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
196
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether the conclusion of the Report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that her Department will choose Ronanstown to pilot an initiative to develop a grant-aid scheme for local voluntary groups engaged in direct youth work has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
197
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.B.3 of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that special measures be taken to reduce truancy has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Austin Currie
Ceist:
198
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Education
whether conclusion 4.1.E.3 of the report of the Interdepartmental Group which examined urban crime and disorder in the Ronanstown area of Dublin West, that a family/school project to assist children at risk of being excluded from their families, dropping out of school and drifting away from their local community has been implemented; if not, when it will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 to 198, inclusive, together.
The views expressed in the report of the Interdepartmental Group on Urban Crime and Disorder on the importance of education, including vocational education and training, reflect the views which inform the ongoing policy of my Department. The report outlined in detail the education services being provided in the area, including initiatives in the area of non-formal education, and the extent to which additional resources are being targeted towards the disadvantaged in this and other similar areas.
I consider the issue of greater access to quality education services to be an essential component in any strategy to address the problems of areas such as Ronanstown. As the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Interdepartmental Group which studied this issue, acknowledged and welcomed the emphasis which my Department places on the need to support the disadvantaged and the value of initiatives taken, such as the disadvantaged areas scheme and home-school community liaison scheme.
In this connection, I should point out that already in the North Clondalkin area, there are ten primary schools which are included in the disadvantaged areas scheme. All of these schools receive supplementary capitation grant support at the rate of £17 per pupil and are also allocatedex-quota concessionary teaching posts. In addition, all of the schools in question are included in the home-school community liaison scheme. In fact, the area in question enjoys above average coverage in terms of home-school community liaison, in that six of the ten schools mentioned have their own home-school community liaison co-ordinator devoted full-time to their needs.
I can assure the Deputy that, in line with the commitment contained in the Programme for a Partnership Government, it is my intention to continue to target resources on disadvantaged areas. Already in 1993, an additional 50 primary schools have been included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and an additional 27 schools have been included in the home-school community liaison scheme. I have also recently announced that the home-school community liaison scheme, which previously operated on a pilot basis, has now been put on a permanent footing. It is my intention to build further on these developments in the coming years to ensure that children in areas such as Ronanstown are given every possible help to participate in and benefit fully from the education system.
I should also point out that the question of access to education in disadvantaged areas is one of the issues examined by the Special Education Review Committee, which reported to me very recently. I can assure the Deputy that I will be giving careful consideration to the committee's recommendations in considering what further measures can be introduced to ensure that the needs of children in disadvantaged areas are fully addressed.
Since the publication of the report of the Interdepartmental Group the following initiatives have been taken in the adult education and youth work services areas:—
— An additional 20 VTOS places have been allocated to the overall Clondalkin area, including Ronanstown, bringing the total to 60 in Ronanstown and 80 in the overall Clondalkin area. Eligibility for the scheme was broadened to include lone parents and others not perviously included.
— The allocation for adult literacy work in the Ronanstown area under the adult litereacy and community education scheme was increased from £20,800 to £45,000. An additional amount of £17,000 was allocated for the provision of second-chance education for disadvantaged members of the community including financial support for participation in the Department of Social Welfare second level scheme, financial assistance towards fees for adult education courses and financial support for community adult education initiatives.
— The Department has given approval to the County Dublin vocational education committee for the operation of a pilot grant scheme for local voluntary youth groups engaged in direct youth work in Ronanstown. The scheme is to be administered and monitored by the Ronanstown Youth Service. The sum of £6,000 has been allocated for the scheme.
In regard to the matter of school truancy, the report, in response to local suggestions, acknowledged that there was, at present, no provision in law for the appointment of specialist school attendance officers in the county area.
The report referred to the fact that a full examination of the truancy problem generally was being conducted by the Department of Education and supported the role, meantime, of the neighbourhood gardaí in Ronanstown who are actually the school attendance officers under existing legislation. This examination of the truancy problem generally is continuing actively in my Department in the context of the review of the School Attendance Act.
In relation to the family-school project referred to in section 4E (3) of the report, the report welcomed the response of the Eastern Health Board, indicating its willingness to undertake development of the project. My Department has conveyed its willingness to provide a teaching post as part of the staffing of the project.
