Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Educational Disadvantage.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

1155 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the total spend on schemes and programmes to counter educational disadvantage as an amount and a percentage of total spending by education level; the reason the Breaking the Cycle scheme has not been extended to further schools for several years; if an evaluation of Breaking the Cycle has been carried out; if so, when this will be published; and if he will make a statement on the expansion of these schemes. [1142/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to expenditure on schemes and programmes to address educational disadvantage is currently being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Breaking the Cycle is a five year pilot project for the period up to 30 June 2001. The project is being evaluated by the Educational Research Centre, Drumcondra. The final evaluation report will be submitted to the Department at the end of 2001.

The Deputy will be aware that earlier this month I launched a major new programme to address educational disadvantage at primary level. The new programme will be run over a three year period and will cost some £26 million. The programme involves the creation of 204 new primary teaching posts and the allocation of cash grants to approximately 2,300 primary schools in respect of disadvantaged pupils. Any extension of the Breaking the Cycle pilot project must, therefore, be considered not only on the basis of the final evaluation report on the pilot phase, but also in the context of the range of measures now being provided to schools under the new programme. Schools included in the Breaking the Cycle pilot project will retain the resources currently available to them and will receive additional funding under the new programme.