Segregated education and special capitation grants for Traveller children are to be gradually phased out in a bid to improve educational achievement and to increase participation in mainstream education by members of that community.
The recommendations were made in a report to the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin published today. Ms Hanafin published the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy, which recommends that all segregated education at primary level be ended and that it also be phased out in post-primary schools.
The Minister said she accepted the "thrust" of the report's recommendations but she could see there would be "some difficulty" with the immediate implementation of some aspects of it.
She also said some of the recommendations would need "further consideration". She said one of the areas of "immediate priority" was the mainstreaming of education provision for Travellers. "This will be achieved by the phasing out, over a period of time, of segregated provision for Travellers in pre-schools, primary and post-primary education.
"It will also include the ending of enhanced capitation grants for Travellers over 12 years of age attending primary schools in order to ensure progression onto second level and beyond," the Minister said.
Ms Hanafin noted the participation of Traveller children in education had greatly improved in recent years, but she said attendance levels were still a matter for concern.
"In keeping with the commitment of the Department to improve attendance levels generally, it will be a priority matter in the implementation of the report that available resources will be utilised to improve the attendance of Travellers," she said.
"This will require the commitment of all the stakeholders involved, including Traveller parents." The report recommends that 100 per cent of Traveller students complete the junior cycle and that 50 per cent of those should go on to complete the senior cycle.
Ms Hanafin admitted these were "challenging targets".
"Inclusion has been at the core of everything that we've been trying to do in education over the last couple of years," she said.
"For everybody in this society, particularly in the strong economy, the only way to get the opportunity, to be able to be a full participant in the economy and in society in Ireland today is to have a good education. And that's irrespective of who you are or where you come from."
The report recommends that the educational attainment level of Traveller children be raised to be on a par with national standards at all levels.
And it suggests the system of allocating teaching resources and capitation on the grounds of cultural identity, rather than need, be reviewed.
The Minister of State with responsibility for equality, Frank Fahey, said he believed the report opens "a new era of opportunity" for Travellers.
He said he had to admit "we have failed so miserably" in respect of employment opportunities for Travellers in Ireland, but also said there were "major obstacles" to be overcome in the workplace in terms of attitudes towards Travellers.
A co-ordinating committee consisting of senior officials from the Department of Education has been established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.