I thank the Chair for permitting me to raise this important matter. Like anyone else involved in public life for a long number of years, I have been conscious of the serious problem of adult literacy through the individual cases I come across and the heroic work of voluntary organisations which are trying to combat the problem but the recently published report, Education 2000 — The International Adult Literacy Survey: Results for Ireland, confirmed what I have long suspected, that the scale and extent of the problem is far greater than most people realise.
At a time when this country is receiving such praise from within and without for its economic successes in recent years and the part played in this by our education system, it should bring us back to earth with a bump to find that, according to the OECD, one-quarter of Irish adults aged between 16 and 64 years have the literacy skills of an average 12 year old. What is more, the report found that those with the poorest skills are not even aware of their deficiency. One-quarter of adults were at level one on the scale of literacy and would have difficulty in undertaking such basic but essential tasks as reading the correct dosage of medicine from the information printed on a package. The report also disclosed that participation in adult education in Ireland was among the lowest in the countries surveyed at less than half the average.
Adult literacy is a difficult problem with which to deal. It is often endured in secret, frequently hidden from other family members. Yet, the consequences for those who have low levels of literacy are enormous, both economic and social. Apart from the obvious disadvantage it presents in terms of employment prospects or training opportunities, those who cannot adequately read or write are cut off from a range of social, recreational and leisure activities. In addition to being denied the joys of books and newspapers, finding out what is on television or the local cinema becomes a major task, reading a programme at a match an impossibility. The ability to adequately read and write should be something a civilised society should be able to guarantee. A society that will not deliver on that guarantee is failing its people.
Against the background of the scale of the problem highlighted by the OECD, the work being done at national level by AONTAS, the National Adult Literacy Agency and by scores of local bodies such as the Clondalkin Adult Education Centre in my constituency, takes on added importance. One hundred and forty people use the Clondalkin Adult Education Centre. I suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Those doing trojan work in these bodies have been bitterly disappointed at the allocation for the adult literacy and community education budget. The allocation in the current year was £2.315 million and for 1998 it has been increased by just £70,000. This is inadequate as it will have to be divided between 100 adult literacy schemes in 38 vocational education committee areas. Grant-in-aid to NALA and four other organisations involved in adult education will be increased by just £91,000, bringing the total available for the five organisations to £400,000. This is inadequate to deliver the level of services required because of the scale of the need involved.
The Minister for Education and Science recently announced an allocation of £250 million for investment in technology education. Everybody accepts this is the minimum required but we also need to address the educational needs of the community at a much more basic level. It is a particular slap in the face to those involved that, at a time of relative plenty, so little should be allocated to their needs. Neither does it make economic or social sense. If we do not set about seriously tackling problems such as adult literacy when things are relatively good, what chance will we have of dealing with them when times are less good, as inevitably they will be?
I know that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, has an interest in this area and probably fought his corner in the course of the recent Estimates debate but I appeal to him to re-examine the position before the Revised Book of Estimates is published. The joint demands from ALA and Aontas for a doubling of the adult literacy and community education budget over the next three years from its current level to approximately £4 million is perfectly reasonable.
