Funding for adults struggling with literacy
Government funding worth €1 million has been launched to support adults with unmet literacy, numeracy, digital, and financial literacy needs.
The announcement comes as new figures showed that 1 in 4 adults in Ireland struggle with everyday maths.
The figures, from the Programme for International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC), published by the OECD, also revealed that 29% of Irish adults are at Level 1 or below for adaptive problem solving.
Furthermore, 1 in 5 adults in Ireland aged between 16-65 are at or below Level 1 in literacy. This means that around 740,000 adults in Ireland struggle with reading and understanding everyday text. This includes difficulties with filling out forms, reading instructions on medicines, adding up a bill, and helping kids with homework.
Announcing the 2025 Collaboration and Innovation Fund was Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD.
“Over the last number of years, the fund has supported almost 150 innovative projects in communities across Ireland,” said the minister.
“We know that accessing literacy supports can be very difficult for people, and the recent survey by the OECD shows that unmet literacy needs are prevalent in our society.
“Literacy is a human right as it allows us to fully engage in society and be active citizens. We must do more to support people with unmet literacy needs as we know there is often a stigma attached to not being able to read, write, or participate in the world online, and it can create isolation.
“Initiatives such as the Collaboration and Innovation Fund are vital with critical investment used to support projects and activities that enable adults to gain the necessary literacy, numeracy, digital, and financial literacy they need to fully engage in society and realise their potential,” added Minister O’Donovan.
The purpose of the Collaboration and Innovation Fund, managed by the Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) National Programme Office in SOLAS, is to support a more inclusive and equal society by awarding collaborative and innovative projects that support adults with unmet literacy, numeracy, digital, and financial literacy needs.
This year the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is contributing €250,000 towards a financial literacy strand of the Collaboration and Innovation Fund.
Yvonne McKenna, Director of the ALL Programme Office at SOLAS said: “Through the ALL Collaboration and Innovation Fund we can move towards our goal of ensuring that all adults in Ireland have the literacy to meet their needs, and that we have a more literacy-aware and literacy-friendly society.
“The fund will enable the delivery of a diverse and broad range of responses to benefit adults in Ireland with unmet literacy needs.
"This Collaboration and Innovation Fund will help a range of learners including older adults, Travellers, migrants, lone parents, and early school leavers gain access to key supports to benefit their needs to participate more fully in society,” added Ms McKenna.
Kevin O’Brien, member of the CCPC, welcomed the funding: “We want more adults across Ireland to have access to practical tools and education to manage their finances effectively. By partnering with SOLAS we hope to reach those communities that need it most.”
Further information about last year’s projects are available on adultliteracyforlife.ie.