The Government is to consider a proposal to have sports and musical celebrities involved in the promotion of adult literacy. However, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, on behalf of the Minister for Education, Mr Mar- tin, said the first priority was to provide an adequate literacy service for those who sought it.
"After that, the next stage will be the encouragement of the reluctant to avail themselves of the service." Activists in adult education had criticised as "totally inadequate" the State's provision for literacy programmes.
He was replying to Mr Paschal Mooney (FF) who said having "national heroes" like Roy Keane and Sonia O'Sullivan in advertisements to encourage adults with reading difficulties to take up the service would be an immense encouragement. Mr Mooney also called for a "bookstart" programme to provide books for children as young as eight months to encourage their parents to read with them. A similar scheme in Birmingham was successful.
Opposition by some minority churches had inhibited the consideration of an experiment on Sunday voting in political elections, members heard. On suggestions that voter turnout could be enhanced by permitting ballots to be cast on Sundays, Mr Dempsey said there were arguments for and against such a proposition.
He was not opposed to conducting a Sunday-voting experiment, but, in the past, there had been objections by a number of minority churches, on religious grounds. Mr Dempsey said he would check to see if there was still any objection to voting on the Sabbath.
ail constituencies, which passed all stages, the Minister Mr Dempsey said that consideration would be given to enabling polling stations to open at 7 a.m. People were leaving home for work much earlier and an 8 a.m. opening was, too late for many people.