On Behalf Of National Adult Literacy Agency

After meeting all the political parties and asking them to include adult literacy development in their manifestos, we are delighted to tell you that our work has paid off.Four political parties have prioritised adult literacy in their manifestos. They are Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Fein and Social Democrats. So, thank you for helping us to achieve our goal. And, if you meet candidates you could thank them for their commitment. Now, have you noticed any political parties missing? We're just saying you might want to bring it to their attention if they knock on your door - it's never to late to win a vote!

Below are excerpts of their commitments to adult literacy but if you read their full manifestos you will see they also have commitments to school literacy.

Fine Gael manifesto

 "Fine Gael recognises that low levels of proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem solving can have a negative impact upon a person’s social and health outcomes. We will improve access routes to learning to ensure that those with low qualifications or skills are not left behind” 

Read their full manifesto here.

Labour manifesto

"In a modern economy, many people need to continually upskill and reskill throughout their lives. We will provide an increased fund of €25m each year to enhance the availability of life-long learning options in the community, from literacy and numeracy education for those who want to avail of catch-up training, to specific skills training options for those who are looking to reskill in their spare time. Our ambition is three fold; we want to eradicate illiteracy, afford existing workers the opportunity for second chance education and equip workers with the necessary skills and training to be able to adapt to the skills of the future. Ultimately, this is about supporting people in their ambition to progress and improve their livelihoods to benefit themselves and their families."

Read their full manifesto here.

Sinn Fein manifesto

“We will promote adult literacy by providing opportunities for 20,000 learners to participate  in a course leading to a Level 3 or Junior Cert qualification.” 

Read their full manifesto here.

Social Democrats manifesto

“Literacy is key to unlocking other areas of learning. It is simply unacceptable that 44% of pupils in the most disadvantaged primary schools perform at or below the lowest levels of reading proficiency. Parents play the most fundamental role in children’s learning and it is essential that they are given the supports they need to do this. Social Democrats would invest in the delivery, by schools, community organisations and others, of a range of programmes and initiatives to engage and support parents in their children’s learning and development.” 

Read their full manifesto here.

The Green Party manifesto is almost there...

“Increase participation in Further Education, especially for disadvantaged communities and increase the standard and scope of post-leaving certificate and vocational training, and remove the cap on plc places.” 

Read their full manifesto here.