Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 October 2004
168 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has satisfied herself that adequate resources are in place to fund adult literacy services in view of the increase in the numbers availing of adult literacy services in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26114/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe adult literacy service is organised and delivered by the vocational education committees throughout the country with funding from my Department.
The national development plan committed €93.5 million to the service in the period 2000-06, with a target of reaching 113,000 clients over that period. This target will be met.
Funding for adult literacy has been increased incrementally in recent years from just under €1 million in 1997 to over €19 million in 2004. Client numbers rose in the same period from 5,000 to over 31,000 per year. The increase in funding has also enabled the introduction of special programmes targeted at groups with particular literacy needs. Such programmes include family literacy and literacy for deaf people. In addition, a focused work place literacy programme, jointly funded by my Department and the local authority national partnership group, is available nationwide for local authority outdoor staff.
To supplement the work of the VEC literacy service, and to cater for people who do not wish to enrol in the service, my Department funds the television literacy tuition and awareness series "Read, Write, Now". The fifth series is currently being broadcast.
My Department also pays an annual grant to the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA, in respect of publicity and promotion, research and training events.
