Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 1996

Vol. 463 No. 3

Written Answers. - Task Force on Travelling Community.

Michael Woods

Ceist:

32 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the way in which he plans to reconcile the twin objectives of affirming travellers' cultural rights and absorbing travellers into mainstream training, education and employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6279/96]

Máirín Quill

Ceist:

38 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the progress, if any, made by the interdepartmental working group established to consider the report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6418/96]

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 38 together.

The Government has now considered the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group which was established, in accordance with a Government decision, to consider the implementation of the Report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community. Follow up action to the report will be announced shortly.

The Minister for Education has set out in the White Paper, Charting our Education Future, the Government's policy in relation to traveller education.

The White Paper recognises that travellers are a community whose culture has deep historical roots within Irish society. That as a distinct group they have rights to participate fully in it educational system and to have its traditions respected.

The White Paper also states that the placement of traveller children in special schools and classes will be done only on the basis of special educational need. If they need extra help, this will be given, as it is to other children with learning difficulties, through withdrawal from the ordinary class for a limited period, or through support teaching within the ordinary class.

The White Paper sets out the following objectives:

—That all traveller children of primary school age be enrolled and participate fully in primary education according to their ability and potential, within five years.

—Within ten years, all traveller children of second-level, school-going age will complete junior cycle education and 50 per cent will complete the senior cycle.

These objectives will be supported by:

—the inclusion in schools' plans of an admission policy in relation to travellers, in accordance with national and regional guidelines;

—the education boards putting in place induction programmes involving the family, the primary school where the student is enrolled, and the second-level school to which s/he is about to transfer;

—the provision of modules on travellers and traveller culture in pre-service and in-career development programmes;

—the continuing development by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment of appropriate curriculum and assessment procedures to meet the special needs of traveller children, including the provision of appropriate texts and materials;

—the continuing development of the visiting teacher service;

—comprehensive and regularly updated surveys of traveller education;

—the monitoring of school attendance patterns.

I know that FÁS has a long experience of working with travellers through its involvement with senior traveller training centres and other training and employment initiatives. While FÁS is conscious of the separate culture of travellers, it is are aware that many of its training and employment needs are common to other disadvantaged groups within our society for which FÁS also carries responsibility. Over the years FÁS has developed valuable contacts with the various travellers' representative bodies and the experience gathered from these relationships will contribute to the achievement of a balance between maintaining the culture of travellers and their integration into mainstream training and employment activities.