National Adult Literacy Agency

Lobbying Organisation National Adult Literacy Agency

Date published 20 May, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025

Specific Details Results of OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023, and other adult literacy issues

Intended results We asked for the general support of the Social Democrats in holding the government to account on the findings of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023, i.e. worsening adult literacy needs, and flatlining numeracy We specifically suggested that the Oireachtas committee on education should discuss the results of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023, when reconvened

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Aoife Crawford

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (6-10)

We sent an email on 11 February 2025 to the Social Democrats' Policy Director, with Deputy Gary Gannon in CC. In the email we shared a link to a 9 February 2025 article in the Journal covering the results of the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023, titled "Saints and Scholars? Not really, Irish people are becoming less literate". We suggested we might meet as previously suggested by the Policy Director. Subsequent emails were about the meeting arrangements.

Virtual Meeting (1)

Meeting on Teams between Aoife Crawford and Caitriona Whelan (NALA), the Social Democrats' Policy Director, and Deputy Jen Cummins. We discussed NALA's work and various issues related to adult literacy. We proposed that the Oireachtas committee on education should discuss the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 results when the committee reconvenes. There were no specific actions arising from the meeting but we agreed to continue to flag emerging adult literacy issues to the Social Democrats.

Email (1)

As a follow-up to the meeting, we provided the Policy Director and Deputy Jen Cummins with further information and statistics that were requested about: NALA's work Adult Literacy for Life Strategy targets Lack of lifelong learning at lower levels Decline in one-to-one literacy tuition Increase in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) enrolments Decline in skills with age/time Literacy and labour market participation

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Gary Gannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jen Cummins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)