asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that children in urban areas, especially in inner city areas, are significantly educationally deprived relative to the rest of the country; and if he will make a comprehensive statement on the Government's policy in this regard.

I do not accept that children in urban areas, especially in inner city areas, are significantly educationally deprived relative to the rest of the country.

Some children in inner city areas may be socially and culturally—as distinct from educationally—deprived, but so also may children in provincial towns where the problems may be on a smaller scale. It is important to realise that problems inherent in educational deprivation have to be dealt with in the schools in which they are identified. Nevertheless, it has also to be recognised that there is a limit to what the school can do to remedy the problems which arise in this connection. The experience gained from the Rutland Street project is useful in the assessment of this situation.

Despite the Minister's assertion, is he aware that in parts of the inner city areas of Dublin 80 per cent of the children leave after national school education and that only 18 per cent of the young people in some areas receive full secondary education?

I am not quite sure if that is related to the Deputy's question. I mentioned that while we do our part educationally and try to improve the facilities, the social problems can be great. We have services dealing with school attendance and so on and I have met the responsible people. We try to keep in touch with the situation as best we can. If people are not anxious to go to the schools it is difficult to get them to do so.

Research has shown that in some cases 80 per cent of the young people in the inner city areas of Dublin leave after national school education and only 18 per cent of them complete secondary education.

Perhaps the Deputy would let me know his source for those statistics. I am fully aware of the results of the Rutland Street Project. This is not the place to discuss them.

One source I am sure the Minister is familiar with is Micheál Mac Greil and his studies.

I am aware of the studies but I am not convinced that, except for very confined areas, the Deputy's story is generally true about the inner city area.

I did not say that. I referred to substantial tracts of it.

We will try to improve it together.