asked the Minister for Education if her Department favours or is considering the introduction of educational priority areas based on accepted socio-educational indexes to involve pupil/teacher ratios, educational equipment, pre-school investment and second chance educational opportunities.

5.

asked the Minister for Education the policies her Department has on areas of educational deprivation.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.

I desire to direct the attention of the Deputy to the Programme for Action in Education 1984-1987 issued by me on Monday, 30 January, 1984 and, in particular, to the following paragraphs of the document — 2.3, 2.29, 3.1, 3.3, 3.7, 5.5 and 5.8

It will be appreciated that the measures proposed relate to the general out-of-school education area as well as to the more specific provision to be made in primary and post-primary schools.

Would the Minister outline how soon the areas of educational priority will be identified? Is it envisaged that progress will be made on specific areas identified as a result of having the kind of specific advantages I referred to in my question, such as improved pupil-teacher ratio, educational equipment, free school investment and second chance educational opportunities? Will there be specific areas identified in the future and as a result will they benefit in all or in some of these ways?

In this year's Estimate a sum of £500,000 was made available in the Vote for Primary Education for the provision of special measures for the disadvantaged. I set up a working party in my Department who have reported to me. The primary school allocations for disadvantaged areas will be made very shortly as a result of the Department's report to me. With regard to the wider questions the Deputy raises, they obviously will be considered over the course of the four year Programme for Action in Education.

Will the Minister accept that this area has been grossly neglected over a number of years, that there has been a total failure to come up with any realistic policies? The Minister's action programme is the first sign that this is being faced. Does the Minister agree that there is need to make a great deal of progress like the progress made in other countries in identifying these areas? While we welcome the money granted this year a far greater commitment of resources in the particular areas will be needed in the future. I would like to mention again pupil-teacher ratios and pre-school investment. They are all an integral part of the programme.

This is getting into argument. A question, please.

Would the Minister indicate to me her personal commitment that out of this four year action programme will emerge a properly co-ordinated, properly funded and substantial programme towards areas of deprivation as a major part of the whole Government's anti-poverty programme?

I would like to assure the Deputy of my personal commitment in the areas she identifies and to say that we consider that the many undertakings in the Programme for Action in Education in that area will lead to action being taken in the way she has outlined. It must, of course, be said that the whole question of what action can be taken will relate to the amount of resources available. We have specified quite clearly in the Programme for Action in Education that priority in the use of available resources will be accorded to a programme to assist disadvantaged pupils. That is a theme running right through the action programme.